Christian Themes Manga

The Decline Three months later. The tent was half-empty. Cinder flipped through the air, landed perfectly, juggled the flaming pins with the same precision—but the applause was thin. Scattered. A few polite claps from the families who’d bothered to show up. She forced her smile wider. Bowed deeper. Added an extra spin. Nothing. The little girl who used to sit in the front row wasn’t there anymore. After the show, Cinder stood alone in the center ring, staring at the empty seats. Dust motes floated through the fading spotlight. The silence pressed against her ears. "Pathetic." She turned. The Ringmaster stood at the edge of the ring, face shadowed, arms crossed. "Sir, I—" "The crowds are leaving because of you." His voice was cold. Sharp. "You’re stale. Boring. A one-trick pony—or should I say, one-trick mutt." Her tail tucked instinctively. "I can learn new tricks. I’ll practice harder—" "I’ve already made arrangements." He turned away. "There’s a new act coming. Someone with real talent." The words hit like a punch to the gut. "You’re replaceable, Cinder. Don’t forget that." He walked away, boots echoing on the wooden floor. Cinder stood frozen, flames still flickering on the pins in her hands. Slowly, she let them drop. They clattered to the ground, extinguished. Weeks passed.
What i was thinking for my story was that after reaching the age of 8 you get to find your power called "renx". Renx allows you to summon a weapon your weapon could be anything even another human, the Renx is different for everyone. But not everyone can have a Renx, theres a 50% chance that you get one abd 50% chance that you dont. Renx helps you fight monsters called Olyn creatures. The Olyns taken over most of the world but brave humans created strong fortresses in some countries. There is multiple factions formed with only Renx users, The Sacred, The Fallen, The Shattered, The Lost, The Union. The Union is the main faction that controls all the other's. The Sacred focuses on fighting the Olyn, The Fallen focuses on protecting the Fortresses, The shattered focuses on healing the injured, The Lost scout areas near the Fortresses to make sure they're are no Olyns approaching, and The Union gives orders to every faction. Each year The Union gives a test to those who want to join one of the factions very few get selected each year, only about 450 people get chosen and then each faction gets to choose 90 people depending on that they're useful for.Lets make our main character have 2 Renx 1 human like Renx and a weapon that looks like a cross that serves as a sword and a gun.The summoned human has their own personality and they follow your orders. I want to makes this like a boys love genre too the main character somehow falls in love with a guy from a different faction
Image Prompt Anime/manga style classroom scene, 9:16 vertical format, modest and slightly worn high school classroom, wooden desks with scratches, chalkboard at the front, soft sunlight through open windows, warm and simple atmosphere, poor school setting. Students wearing same uniform: simple white short-sleeve shirt, slightly faded navy blue skirt, black shoes, white socks. Three girls seated together: Lin Xinyi (shoulder-length brown hair, calm expression), Lily Chen (long black ponytail, glasses, holding notebook), Mia Zhao (short auburn hair, energetic). Teacher at front speaking. 💬 Dialogue Teacher: "Don’t forget about the debate ahead. Some students might get scholarships." Students (whispering): "Scholarships?" "This is serious…" 🎞️ Scene 2 – Class Murmuring 🖼️ Image Prompt (Same classroom, teacher walking out, students turning, whispering, lively atmosphere) 💬 Dialogue Student A: "Did you hear that?" Student B: "This could change everything…" 🎞️ Scene 3 – Confident Student Speaks 🖼️ Image Prompt (Male student standing confidently in class, others looking at him, trio seated together) 💬 Dialogue Standing Student: "You guys should stop worrying yourselves. When we have the top students in this class, it’s obvious who will get it." Students (whispering): "He means them…" "Of course…" 🎞️ Scene 4 – Lin Xinyi Responds 🖼️ Image Prompt (Focus on Lin Xinyi speaking calmly, friends beside her, students listening) 💬 Dialogue Lin Xinyi: "We should all study hard… we never know who might get it." Students (soft murmuring): "She’s right…" 🎞️ Scene 5 – Junior Arrives 🖼️ Image Prompt (Door open, junior student standing, class turning, pointing at selected students) 💬 Dialogue Junior Student: "Excuse me… who is Xinyi, Lily, Mia Zhao, and Ella?" Teacher: "You should meet him now." Student (whispering): "Didn’t I tell you? Only the brilliant students will represent us." 🎞️ Scene 6 – Walking to Staff Room 🖼️ Image Prompt (School corridor, four girls walking together, students watching) 💬 Dialogue Mia Zhao: "Do you think we got selected?!" Lily Chen: "I’m nervous… what if it’s something serious?" Lin Xinyi (calm): "Let’s just go and find out." 🎞️ Scene 7 – Staff Room Reveal 🖼️ Image Prompt (Staff room, teacher behind desk, four girls standing in front) 💬 Dialogue Teacher: "You four have been selected to represent the school." Ella: "Represent… us?" Teacher: "Yes. A prestigious academy is offering admission to outstanding students." 🎞️ Scene 8 – Big News 🖼️ Image Prompt (Closer emotional shot, girls reacting differently) 💬 Dialogue Teacher: "This is your chance to transfer to one of the most elite schools in the country." Mia Zhao (excited): "Wait… seriously?!" Lily Chen (shocked): "A rich school…?" Lin Xinyi (quiet, determined): "...This is our opportunity." 🎞️ Scene 9 – Outside the Office 🖼️ Image Prompt (Girls standing outside, sunlight, emotional tone) 💬 Dialogue Mia Zhao: "We’re really leaving this place…" Lily Chen: "I’m scared… but excited too." Lin Xinyi: "No matter where we go… we stay together." Ella (soft smile): "Together." 🎞️ Scene 10 – Ending Panel 🖼️ Image Prompt (Dramatic shot of school building fading into bright future transition) 💬 Narration (optional) "A new world was waiting for them… one filled with riches, power… and challenges they never expected."
**The Bride and the Thief** (also titled *The Outlaw and the Heiress*) follows **Stephen Huntington**, a Union veteran leading a gang of former Confederate soldiers in a botched bank heist in a frontier town. Finding the bank vault locked, the thieves seize leather satchels and Gladstone bags filled with **land deeds, promissory notes, and municipal bonds**, which they hope to trade for cash. The story shifts as Stephen hitches his wagon to the opulent **Brewster coach** carrying **Sophia and Jacquelyn Carnegie**, nieces of the industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Key developments include: * **A "Sealed World" of Romance:** Stephen joins the sisters inside their luxurious carriage, where he and Sophia form an intellectual and romantic bond over their shared love for **Western novels by Bret Harte**. * **Business vs. Banditry:** Jacquelyn, the younger but more pragmatic sister, uses her **business acumen** to convince Stephen that the stolen documents are "poison" that will ensure the law hunts them forever. She proposes that he return the assets to become "forgettable" to the authorities. * **Sophia’s Secret:** Sophia reveals she is in a **"delicate condition" (pregnant)** and is desperate to escape a forced, business-oriented marriage in San Francisco. She offers Stephen her personal gold coins as an "investment" in a new, legitimate life together. * **Transformation and Legacy:** Influenced by the sisters, Stephen orders his man, Jeb, to **return all the stolen property**, including the bank manager's chair, to the town. Stephen then moves to Ontario, Canada, assumes the name **Stephen Sterling**, and builds a prosperous, philanthropic legacy as Sophia’s husband.
Part Two: The Decline Three months later. The tent was half-empty. Cinder flipped through the air, landed perfectly, juggled the flaming pins with the same precision—but the applause was thin. Scattered. A few polite claps from the families who’d bothered to show up. She forced her smile wider. Bowed deeper. Added an extra spin. Nothing. The little girl who used to sit in the front row wasn’t there anymore. After the show, Cinder stood alone in the center ring, staring at the empty seats. Dust motes floated through the fading spotlight. The silence pressed against her ears. "Pathetic." She turned. The Ringmaster stood at the edge of the ring, face shadowed, arms crossed. "Sir, I—" "The crowds are leaving because of you." His voice was cold. Sharp. "You’re stale. Boring. A one-trick pony—or should I say, one-trick mutt." Her tail tucked instinctively. "I can learn new tricks. I’ll practice harder—" "I’ve already made arrangements." He turned away. "There’s a new act coming. Someone with real talent." The words hit like a punch to the gut. "You’re replaceable, Cinder. Don’t forget that." He walked away, boots echoing on the wooden floor. Cinder stood frozen, flames still flickering on the pins in her hands. Slowly, she let them drop. They clattered to the ground, extinguished. Weeks passed.
it needs to be in color Part Two: The Decline Three months later. The tent was half-empty. Cinder flipped through the air, landed perfectly, juggled the flaming pins with the same precision—but the applause was thin. Scattered. A few polite claps from the families who’d bothered to show up. She forced her smile wider. Bowed deeper. Added an extra spin. Nothing. The little girl who used to sit in the front row wasn’t there anymore. After the show, Cinder stood alone in the center ring, staring at the empty seats. Dust motes floated through the fading spotlight. The silence pressed against her ears. "Pathetic." She turned. The Ringmaster stood at the edge of the ring, face shadowed, arms crossed. "Sir, I—" "The crowds are leaving because of you." His voice was cold. Sharp. "You’re stale. Boring. A one-trick pony—or should I say, one-trick mutt." Her tail tucked instinctively. "I can learn new tricks. I’ll practice harder—" "I’ve already made arrangements." He turned away. "There’s a new act coming. Someone with real talent." The words hit like a punch to the gut. "You’re replaceable, Cinder. Don’t forget that." He walked away, boots echoing on the wooden floor. Cinder stood frozen, flames still flickering on the pins in her hands. Slowly, she let them drop. They clattered to the ground, extinguished. Weeks passed.
it needs to be in color Part Two: The Decline Three months later. The tent was half-empty. Cinder flipped through the air, landed perfectly, juggled the flaming pins with the same precision—but the applause was thin. Scattered. A few polite claps from the families who’d bothered to show up. She forced her smile wider. Bowed deeper. Added an extra spin. Nothing. The little girl who used to sit in the front row wasn’t there anymore. After the show, Cinder stood alone in the center ring, staring at the empty seats. Dust motes floated through the fading spotlight. The silence pressed against her ears. "Pathetic." She turned. The Ringmaster stood at the edge of the ring, face shadowed, arms crossed. cinder said "Sir, I—" "The crowds are leaving because of you." the ring master said His voice was cold. Sharp. "You’re stale. Boring. A one-trick pony—or should I say, one-trick mutt." Her tail tucked instinctively. "I can learn new tricks. I’ll practice harder—" "I’ve already made arrangements." He turned away. "There’s a new act coming. Someone with real talent." The words hit like a punch to the gut. "You’re replaceable, Cinder. Don’t forget that." He walked away, boots echoing on the wooden floor. Cinder stood frozen, flames still flickering on the pins in her hands. Slowly, she let them drop. They clattered to the ground, extinguished. Weeks passed.
The glass walls of the fifty-second floor boardroom trapped heat like a greenhouse. Outside, the October sun hung low and unforgiving in a cloudless sky, casting long shadows across the polished table where twelve people sat, not speaking. They were strangers fashioned into colleagues by corporate necessity, each one holding their breath a little longer than natural, each one aware of being silently assessed by the others. In corporate America, the watching began long before the speaking. It was a dance of eyes—quick, darting glances followed by studied indifference. A man at the far end tapped his pen against the rim of his coffee cup, the sound precise and mechanical. A woman near the door folded the corner of her presentation notes, creasing it with her fingernail, then unfolding it, then folding it again. Small betrayals of nerves that everyone noticed and no one acknowledged. They waited for the meeting to begin, for someone to break the silence that had stretched like an elastic band between them. The tension wasn‘t personal—it was structural, built into the very architecture of ambition. In places like this, people became careful studies of one another: the way a colleague‘s smile didn’t reach their eyes, how another‘s handshake lingered a moment too long, the slight tremor in a supervisor’s voice when discussing quarterly projections. The human mind was designed to notice patterns, to sort signal from noise. In the corporate wilderness, this instinct sharpened to a knife’s edge. They watched for weakness the way wolves watched for limping deer. A woman in charcoal gray—her suit expensive but not ostentatious—checked her watch, the gesture so subtle it might have been a twitch. The room registered it anyway, a collective awareness that time was being measured. She had mastered the art of presence without performance, of being seen without seeming to seek attention. In the strange economy of office politics, this was a rare and valuable currency. Across the room, a man sat perfectly still. His stillness was different from the frozen anxiety of the others; it was deliberate, practiced, the stillness of someone who had learned that motion often revealed more than it accomplished. He watched the room with eyes that missed nothing and gave away less. When he blinked, it seemed deliberate, as if even this involuntary function had been brought under his control. Outside the windows, the city spread out like a circuit board, connections running between glass towers, power flowing invisibly between nodes of influence. Inside, the air conditioning hummed at the edge of hearing, a white noise that covered the sound of breath, of swallowing, of the small adjustments people made in their seats as they waited. People existed in layers. The surface layer was what they showed in meetings like this—composed, professional, appropriate. Beneath that lay the calculations, the chess moves planned three steps ahead. And deeper still were the private histories that shaped each person’s reactions, the accumulated weight of past failures and successes, the scars and hopes they carried silently beneath their skin. Sometimes the layers bled into each other. Sometimes a crack formed in the careful facade, and something true leaked out—a flash of genuine anger, a moment of unexpected vulnerability, a laugh that wasn’t carefully modulated for the corporate environment. These moments were rare and often missed, except by those who had trained themselves to notice. The quality of attention varied from person to person. Some watched others only for what they could use or avoid. Some watched out of habit, a defensive posture developed through years of professional survival. And some—the rarest kind—watched with a genuine curiosity about the complex interior lives behind the professional masks. In the boardroom, a phone buzzed. The sound cut through the silence like a knife, and twelve pairs of eyes reflexively checked their devices, though only one had received a message. This momentary disruption released something in the room. A man cleared his throat. A woman straightened a stack of papers that was already straight. They were grateful for the small permission to move, to exist a little more fully in their bodies. The door opened. The CEO walked in, followed by two assistants carrying tablets and folders. The atmosphere shifted instantly, everyone sitting straighter, faces arranging themselves into expressions of attentive interest. This, too, was a performance—the showing of appropriate deference, the telegraphing of engagement. “I apologize for the delay,” the CEO said, though he did not sound apologetic. His voice filled the room without being particularly loud. “Shall we begin?” The meeting proceeded as meetings do—information exchanged, points raised and addressed, decisions deferred to future discussions. But beneath the agenda items and action points, other exchanges were taking place. Trust was being assessed. Alliances were forming and dissolving. People were making calculations about one another based on tone of voice, choice of words, micro-expressions that flashed across faces like summer lightning. As the meeting concluded, people gathered their things, breaking into smaller groups, voices suddenly lighter, postures more relaxed. The performance of the boardroom was over; a different, less formal performance began. They laughed at small jokes, made plans for lunch, complained about the traffic or the weather. In this transition space between formal meeting and return to their offices, something unexpected happened. The still man and the woman in charcoal gray both reached for the same door at the same time. Their fingers brushed, and though neither reacted visibly, something passed between them—a moment of mutual recognition, perhaps, or simply an awareness of another human being, solid and real in a world of carefully maintained appearances. They had never spoken. They worked in different departments, moved in different circles within the corporate ecosystem. But in that small moment of contact, each recognized something in the other—a similar quality of attention, perhaps, or a shared understanding of the elaborate theater playing out around them each day. Neither acknowledged it. The woman nodded politely and stepped back. The man opened the door and held it, the gesture neither servile nor condescending, simply practical. They went their separate ways. But something had changed, though neither could have said exactly what. A connection had formed, tenuous as a spider’s thread but present nonetheless. In the vast, impersonal machinery of corporate life, such connections were both rare and essential—small reminders of humanity in places designed to minimize its unpredictable effects. The afternoon sun slanted through the city’s towers, turning the glass to fire. In a thousand offices, a thousand conversations continued. People watched and were watched, spoke and were spoken to, each one carrying their private histories like stones in their pockets, each one hungry for moments of genuine connection in a world built of strategic interactions.
Webtoon Script - Chapter 1: The First Step Scene 1: The University Entrance Panel 1: * Visual: A wide shot of the grand "Big Hit University" gates. Cherry blossom petals are falling. Busy students in the background. Text (Narration): First day. A sea of strangers and the smell of new beginnings. Panel 2: * Visual: A split-screen close-up of two pairs of feet walking. One pair (Jimin) is bouncing energetically; the other pair (Tae) is stiff, toes dragging slightly. Panel 3: * Visual: Medium shot of Jimin and Taehyung. Jimin is glowing, looking around with a huge smile. Taehyung is slightly hunched, his eyes darting nervously. Their hands are tightly interlocked. Jimin: "Tae! Look at the architecture! It’s even better than the brochure!" Taehyung (Small text): "There are... a lot of people, Chim." Scene 2: Outside the Auditorium Panel 4: * Visual: A massive set of double doors. A crowd of students is filtering in. The scale makes Taehyung look very small. Panel 5: * Visual: Close-up of their joined hands. Taehyung’s knuckles are white from gripping too hard. You can see small "trembling" lines around his hand. Panel 6: * Visual: Jimin stops abruptly and turns to face Taehyung. He places his other hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, forcing eye contact. Jimin’s expression is soft and grounding. Jimin: "Tae-tae, look at me. Don't focus on them, okay? Just focus on my voice." Taehyung: "I’m trying... I promise." Panel 7: * Visual: Close-up of Taehyung’s face. He gives a small, shaky "boxy" smile. Taehyung: "I’ll be okay as long as you're there." Scene 3: Inside the Auditorium Panel 8: * Visual: A bird’s-eye view of the auditorium. It’s huge and dimly lit. Jimin is leading Taehyung down the stairs toward the front row. Jimin (Thinking): If we sit in the front, he won't see the crowd behind him. He’ll only see the stage. Panel 9: * Visual: They sit down. Taehyung immediately grabs Jimin’s arm, leaning his head slightly toward Jimin’s shoulder. Taehyung: "This is better. Thank you, Chim." Jimin (SFX: Heart melt): "Anything for my Tata." (Jimin ruffles Tae’s hair). Scene 4: The Stage (Introduction of the Hyungs) Panel 10: * Visual: The lights dim. A spotlight hits the stage. The Director is speaking, but the camera focuses on the "Important People" standing behind him. Panel 11: * Visual: A low-angle "Power Shot" of Namjoon and Seokjin. * Namjoon looks tall and intellectual in glasses. * Jin looks "World Wide Handsome," leaning back with a confident, slightly playful smirk. Director (Speech bubble from off-screen): "...please welcome your Student President, Kim Namjoon, and Co-President, Kim Seokjin!" Panel 12: * Visual: Close-up of Taehyung, his eyes sparkling with pride. Taehyung: "That’s my hyung! Look at him go!" Jimin: "Namjoon-hyung looks so cool too! They’re such a power couple." Scene 5: Ending the Ceremony Panel 13: * Visual: The crowd starts to disperse. Most students are rushing out, but Jimin and Taehyung stay seated, waiting for the aisle to clear. Panel 14: * Visual: They stand up, arms interlocked. Taehyung looks a bit sad, looking toward the stage where his brother was just standing. Taehyung: "I wanted to say hi... but he’s probably busy." Jimin: "Don't pout! We’ll find him later. We have our first Music Class now! Let's go!" Panel 15 (Cliffhanger): * Visual: A side profile of the two boys walking toward the Music Wing. In the background, blurred out, you see a fast-moving figure in a black hoodie (Yoongi) heading straight toward them. Text (Narration): Little did they know, their quiet morning was about to get a lot more chaotic
A pleasant day in Swastik Residency, Thane. Children can be heard playing games in the Society playground. Amidst the Jolly mood of the society, A rather timid boy sits in the verandah glancing over his book, on the blissful interactions he sought after. Enter Archit, our main character. He was a bright boy and a quick learner. However, appearance-wise, He was just any other boy, you'd find every 2 doors. He would have loved to go play with others if not for his series of tests at his school soon. However, he had some friends who’d come to visit him & study with him. One of them was Jash, also known as "J wala Jash”. Archit hoped at least he would visit on this gloomy day, and so did he. Jash came in and started bothering Archit. He pulled him and asked him to stop being a bookworm for once. Archit was enraged, yet Jash had a point. It had been ages since he had a nice walk, so he agreed. Jash told him he had something to show Archit. Curious, yet nonchalant, they walked the length of their lodge all the way to the nearest elevator. But something was strange. Archit had never seen Jash so excited about something. The elevator dinged and they teetered out the apartment into the large open space. That’s when Archit realised Jash was dressed rather well for a normal day. A matte-brown corduroy over a pleasant white Tee. His trousers hung low yet went well with his outfit he had a musk essence coming off of him. While our man, well, he looked as if he had just woke up from a nightmare and wet his pants. Yet they trotted their way all the way through the society gates to the main road. Archit having not walked for a while, felt tired and uninterested in whatever Jash was so excited about. Jash took Archit to the famous “Tapas Ke Golgappe”. It was a Pani puri shop famous for its “Dhaakan Pani Puri”. Archit slightly annoyed asked the reason for visiting a Pani Puri shop, when he had so much work to do. Jash informed that they were waiting for someone, just a few more minutes. Jash convinced Archit to stay by buying him a ‘Golgappa’ plate while treating himself to Sev puri. While eating a golgappa, Archit saw a charming girl come over. She was gorgeous and stunning. Her smile kept his mouth gape open. Then all of a sudden, Jash took hold of her and introduced her to Archit as his girlfriend. Bamboozled, Archita choked on his golgappa and coughed the life out of him. The girl pitied and grinned at Archit's sorry state. The girl introduced herself as Paulami, Her voice, honey to Archit's ears. At that moment, Archit experienced something, he had never experienced before. his stomach. tickled and his face turned red. Her voice echoed in his ears and his face couldn't stop smiling. Jash & Paulami held each other's hands and started talking like lovebirds. The conversation could be interpreted as a script for a romantic movie. The more they talked, the closer they got. Even the reader could predict what was gonna happen next. Both the lovebirds leaned in for a kiss when it was interrupted by a loud, hoarse voice. from the owner Tapas, “DON'T DO THIS TAATI POTTY IN FRONT OF MY SHOP, DHAAKAN". Scared the shit out of them. The Trio ran all the way home never stopping once. Jash bid Archit farewell and led Paulami to his house. Archit walked back home, thinking of this Newfound feeling. Was it Love? Or was it Hormones? He could never know until they met again. The only thing he could focus on now was recovering from Tapas’ Trauma.
it needs to be in color Part Two: The Decline Three months later. The tent was half-empty. Cinder flipped through the air, landed perfectly, juggled the flaming pins with the same precision—but the applause was thin. Scattered. A few polite claps from the families who’d bothered to show up. She forced her smile wider. Bowed deeper. Added an extra spin. Nothing. The little girl who used to sit in the front row wasn’t there anymore. After the show, Cinder stood alone in the center ring, staring at the empty seats. Dust motes floated through the fading spotlight. The silence pressed against her ears. "Pathetic." She turned. The Ringmaster stood at the edge of the ring, face shadowed, arms crossed. "Sir, I—" "The crowds are leaving because of you." the ring master said His voice was cold. Sharp. "You’re stale. Boring. A one-trick pony—or should I say, one-trick mutt." Her tail tucked instinctively. "I can learn new tricks. I’ll practice harder—" "I’ve already made arrangements." He turned away. "There’s a new act coming. Someone with real talent." The words hit like a punch to the gut. "You’re replaceable, Cinder. Don’t forget that." He walked away, boots echoing on the wooden floor. Cinder stood frozen, flames still flickering on the pins in her hands. Slowly, she let them drop. They clattered to the ground, extinguished. Weeks passed.
Fading Applause Part One: The Glory Days The circus tent blazed with light. Cinder soared through the air, her body spinning in a perfect triple flip. Flames traced golden arcs behind her as she juggled the burning pins—one, two, three—never missing a beat. Her dog ears flattened against her skull from the speed, then perked up triumphantly as her feet hit the platform. The crowd roared. "AGAIN! AGAIN!" A little girl in the front row bounced in her seat, tugging her mother’s sleeve. "Mommy, she’s flying!" Cinder’s tail swayed as she bowed low, bells on her jester costume jingling. This—this—was what she lived for. The applause washing over her like warm rain. The gasps when she pulled off something impossible. The way children’s eyes went wide with wonder. She caught three more flaming pins mid-air, spun them into a cascade of fire, and landed in a split. The audience leaped to their feet. Her smile was real. Bright. Uncracked. The Ringmaster stood in the shadows beyond the spotlight, arms crossed, nodding with satisfaction. "Good work, mutt," he’d say later. Not kind, but approving. That was enough. After the show, Cinder walked through the circus grounds, still buzzing with adrenaline. Performers clapped her shoulder. Vendors offered her candied apples. The strongman lifted her onto his shoulders for a victory lap. She belonged here.
Fading Applause Part One: The Glory Days The circus tent blazed with light. Cinder soared through the air, her body spinning in a perfect triple flip. Flames traced golden arcs behind her as she juggled the burning pins—one, two, three—never missing a beat. Her dog ears flattened against her skull from the speed, then perked up triumphantly as her feet hit the platform. The crowd roared. "AGAIN! AGAIN!" A little girl in the front row bounced in her seat, tugging her mother’s sleeve. "Mommy, she’s flying!" Cinder’s tail swayed as she bowed low, bells on her jester costume jingling. This—this—was what she lived for. The applause washing over her like warm rain. The gasps when she pulled off something impossible. The way children’s eyes went wide with wonder. She caught three more flaming pins mid-air, spun them into a cascade of fire, and landed in a split. The audience leaped to their feet. Her smile was real. Bright. Uncracked. The Ringmaster stood in the shadows beyond the spotlight, arms crossed, nodding with satisfaction. "Good work, mutt," he’d say later. Not kind, but approving. That was enough. After the show, Cinder walked through the circus grounds, still buzzing with adrenaline. Performers clapped her shoulder. Vendors offered her candied apples. The strongman lifted her onto his shoulders for a victory lap. She belonged here.
In an era where six Supremes mark the absolute ceiling of existence, the world moves under a quiet, grinding tension: five Supremes stand revealed, anchoring nations, deterring wars, and defining the limits of power, while the sixth vanished long ago without death, omen, or echo, leaving behind not silence but a sense of deliberate containment that only beings at that level can feel; kingdoms ring their borders with alliances and naval forces, especially along the eastern ocean where island chains hide ancient mana scars, academies promote Gifted through rigid ranks obsessed with combat metrics and measurable mana, blind to the truth that Supremacy is not earned but survived, and above it all walks the MC, a Supreme who abandoned the system itself after realizing it was not a ladder but a cage, designed after the disappearance to prevent another from breaking reality the way the missing one nearly did; as nations posture, research forbidden spells, and quietly fear escalation, the MC senses what others refuse to name, that the missing Supreme did not fall or transcend but uncovered something beyond Supremacy and chose exile or imprisonment to stop it from cascading, making the current balance an illusion sustained by fear and ignorance, and as cracks spread through mana laws, island anomalies stir, and Supreme senses begin to distort, the story moves toward an inevitable convergence where the MC, the vanished Supreme, and the system meant to bind them are forced into collision, deciding whether the world remains stable, ascends, or shatters under the weight of truths it was never meant to hold.
## ⚔️ SAHNE 1 – Daigo & Megumi konuşması > *Black and white manga-style evening scene of a samurai couple standing together in quiet conversation. Black and white manga-style close-up of a young male samurai gripping his katana. Sharp jawline, defined cheekbones, straight eyebrows, intense focused eyes. His long dark hair is tied back, slightly moving in the wind. Expression calm but determined. Dramatic shadows across his face, highly detailed line art, cinematic lighting. Black and white manga-style medium shot of a strong female samurai The woman has slightly long face, defined cheekbones, angled eyebrows, narrow expressive eyes, and a thin subtle scar under one eye. Her long dark hair is half tied, slightly messy. The atmosphere is calm but heavy. The man looks composed, the woman serious and concerned. Soft lighting, long shadows, emotional tension, detailed line art.* ## 🌙 SAHNE 2 – Gece sahnesi > *Black and white manga-style quiet night scene inside a traditional room. A woman is awake, looking at her sleeping children and then at a man beside them. Soft moonlight enters the room. Emotional, calm, and intimate atmosphere. Detailed line art, soft shading. same character style, consistent design, manga panel illustration* --- ## 🔥 SAHNE 3 – Haberci > *Black and white manga-style tense scene of a messenger arriving urgently, slightly out of breath. His expression is serious. The environment shifts from calm to alert. Characters react with sudden attention. Dynamic composition, detailed line art.*
Chapter 1 : Stone It wasn’t such a blissful day, like it seemed. The sun gazed through the lightly scattered clouds, the sort of rays that make you squint at the worst possible moments. Hot days like this are rare in England; yet I don’t value them the same way as everyone else. Everyone is sweaty, stinky, and they forget what a shower is. While I was thinking those exact thoughts, I caught a glimpse of a pale green light. It soon became more than a glimpse—a scenic view, one to die for. A moment later I was in a dark room, or maybe a dark warehouse. No, it was certainly a bottomless ocean which trapped me. Me? I was free to do anything. Where was my body? I would repeat three times over millions of seconds. I lost count at 533,600,527 seconds. I never got bored, however; it all felt like an instant freeze-frame on a TV show. I knew that I counted for months, maybe years, so how did I never feel the need to sleep, not even an urge to yawn? Then it hit me: a single drop of a dark yellow liquid. Suddenly, the sun I once hated met my thankful gaze. How long had it been? How long was I turned to stone? Chapter 2 : Unravel From the first moment i realised what was going on , i started thinking the same thing over and over , im done for. How on earth would a highschool boy like me , survive all alone in a primitive world?
The episode opens with a silent sky as the date 16 August 2063 appears, its stars barely visible under artificial glow. The scene shifts to Beijing, China, where a plane lands at a crowded airport. Among the crowd, two young men finally meet after years apart — Satoshi Kakamura, an undercover spy secretly sent to investigate a mysterious organization connected to assassinations of world leaders, and Koruko Kesei, an architect living in China. A brief flashback shows their long friendship and promise to meet again one day. They head to a café and talk casually until Koruko hesitantly reveals a confidential project: a massive construction ordered to be completed in only seven months. He admits he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but trusts Satoshi. The real problem, however, is that workers assigned to a specific underground area have been disappearing. This immediately raises Satoshi’s suspicion because his mission involves tracking a hidden civilization of killers targeting influential figures worldwide. Later that night, the two walk through the advanced yet strangely lifeless city toward Koruko’s home. Satoshi feels uneasy, missing the peace and nature he prefers. At the house, Koruko introduces him to his family and they share a calm dinner together. Afterward, Koruko shows Satoshi his room and leaves him to rest. Satoshi changes into casual clothes, calls his parents in Germany, and has a quiet, reassuring conversation before falling asleep. The next morning, while Koruko’s family watches television, Satoshi walks out rubbing his eyes — only to freeze behind them as breaking news reports appear: 76 celebrities missing and multiple major buildings collapsed across the world. The screen fades to black, ending Episode 1. Anime Title: Everything’s Fair in Peace 🎬
Comic Title: Umwali Wibagiranye wo mu Butete Style: African royal story, Rwanda setting, webtoon full color, emotional storytelling Characters: Umwali – young African girl, simple braids, modest traditional dress, sad but kind Ingabire – confident princess, royal red/gold outfit Agatesi – wise princess, calm, blue/purple outfit Mugisha – young man from rich coffee family, simple elegant clothes King – strong leader, royal robes Queen – gentle and caring ------------------------------------ Scene 1 (Intro): King and Queen are worried about not having a child. Queen comforts him. A maid rushes in with good news — the Queen is pregnant. Dialogue: King: "Nta muragwa dufite." Queen: "Tuzabona umwana." Maid: "Mfite amakuru meza!" ------------------------------------ Scene 2 (Development): The Queen gives birth to triplets. The King names Ingabire and Agatesi proudly. The third child, Umwali, is almost forgotten. Dialogue: King: "Abana batatu icyarimwe?!" King: "Uyu ni Ingabire." King: "Uyu ni Agatesi." Maid: "Hari undi mwana." King: "Azitwa Umwali." ------------------------------------ Scene 3 (Conflict): The girls grow up. Ingabire is trained as a leader. Agatesi is praised for intelligence. Umwali is ignored and left alone. At a big Inkera party, she is not introduced. Dialogue: Advisor: "Ingabire azaba umuyobozi mwiza." Teacher: "Agatesi afite ubwenge bwinshi." Umwali: "Kuki njye ntibanyitaho?" King: "Murakaza neza mu Inkera!" ------------------------------------ Scene 4 (Conclusion / Twist): Mugisha notices Umwali alone. She feels hurt and decides to leave the palace. He helps her. Later she builds a successful coffee café. Her family returns to apologize. She forgives them. Dialogue: Mugisha: "Kuki uri wenyine?" Umwali: "Baranyibagirwa." Umwali: "Sinzongera kuguma hano." King: "Turagusaba imbabazi." Umwali: "Ndababariye."
A dark sci-fi horror story set in a massive underground research facility built beneath the earth to hide a classified experiment called Project Hope. Scientists there develop HRV-13, a modified virus designed to repair damaged cells and regenerate the human body without altering DNA. At first the results seem miraculous—cancer disappears, spinal injuries heal, and paralyzed patients stand again. Animals recover from fatal experiments, and the researchers begin to believe they have discovered a cure that could change the future of medicine. But the virus does not simply heal—it amplifies the body’s natural systems. Muscles grow stronger but uncontrollably, nerves regenerate too fast, organs begin overproducing chemicals, and the human body starts behaving like a machine running without limits. Each patient’s biology evolves differently, turning them into unpredictable biological experiments. The story follows a lone survivor who enters the abandoned facility years later. The building is silent, filled with flickering lights, empty laboratories, and sealed containment rooms. While exploring the corridors he finds the journal of the lead scientist, documenting the entire experiment—from hopeful beginnings to catastrophic failure. Through these entries the reader slowly learns what happened inside the facility: human trials, strange symptoms, military oversight, and the terrifying realization that the virus never stopped working. The deeper the survivor goes into the facility—through research labs, animal testing wings, medical wards, and containment chambers—the more disturbing the truth becomes. The experiment meant to save humanity may have created a new form of life, one that spreads through biology itself. The atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic: dark hallways, abandoned hospital beds, humming machines, and the constant feeling that something inside the building is still alive.
Chapter 1: The Classroom Awakening The smell of chalk dust and stale floor wax hit him before his eyes even opened. It was a scent he hadn't encountered in fifteen years, a scent that belonged to a life he had thought was long buried under the weight of burnout and regret. Leo opened his eyes. He wasn't in the sterile, white room of the hospital where he had taken his last breath. He wasn't in the cramped, debt-ridden apartment where he had spent his final nights staring at a flickering monitor, his heart screaming for a break that never came. He was sitting in a desk. A wooden desk with a scratch on the corner that looked like a jagged lightning bolt. "Leo? Are you listening?" The voice was sharp, impatient. Leo turned his head slowly. Mrs. Gable, his high school history teacher, was standing at the front of the room, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed. The clock on the wall read 10:42 AM. The date on the whiteboard behind her was September 14, 2012. No, Leo thought, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. That's impossible. I died in 2027. I was thirty-four. He looked down at his hands. They were smooth, uncalloused, the skin unlined by stress. He touched his face. No stubble. No gray hairs. He was seventeen again. A wave of nausea rolled over him, followed immediately by a cold, sharp clarity. This wasn't a dream. The pain in his lower back from sitting too long, the hum of the fluorescent lights, the way the sunlight hit the dust motes in the air—it was all too real. He had been given a second chance. The panic that had defined his first life—the fear of failure, the fear of the future, the fear of being alone—faded, replaced by a terrifying, electric calm. He remembered everything. The bad choices. The toxic friends. The girl who broke his heart. The job that killed him. The brothers he failed to protect. Not this time, he thought, a dark smile touching the corners of his lips. Not ever again. "Leo?" Mrs. Gable's voice cut through his thoughts again. "Since you seem so interested in the ceiling, perhaps you can tell the class the date of the Treaty of Versailles?" The class turned to look at him. In his past life, Leo would have stuttered, blushed, and mumbled something incoherent. He would have been the invisible kid, the one everyone forgot. But that kid was dead. Leo stood up. He didn't rush. He didn't fidget. He looked at the teacher with a gaze that was far too old for a seventeen-year-old's face. "June 28, 1919," he said, his voice steady and clear. "It marked the official end of World War I, but it also sowed the seeds for the next conflict due to the harsh reparations placed on Germany." The room went silent. Mrs. Gable blinked, her mouth slightly open. "Correct," she said, a hint of surprise in her tone. "Sit down, Leo." As he sat, Leo felt a strange sense of power. He knew the future. He knew the stock market crashes, the tech booms, the scandals, the secrets of everyone in this room. He was a god in a world of children. First step, he told himself. Survival. Then, dominance. Chapter 2: The Ghost in the Mirror The walk home felt like a dream sequence. The city was different, yet the same. The shops were smaller, the technology on the billboards was clunky, and the people moved with a slower, less frantic pace. Leo walked past the grocery store where, in his past life, he had bought his first pack of cigarettes at eighteen. He didn't stop. He didn't even glance at the entrance. He reached his childhood home. The house looked exactly as he remembered, but the feeling of safety was gone. Inside, the air was thick with tension. He could hear his father shouting in the kitchen, the sound of a plate being slammed onto the counter. "Leo! You're late!" his mother called out, her voice tight with anxiety. "Your father is waiting." Leo stepped inside, dropping his bag by the door. He looked at his parents. In his past life, he had seen them as monsters, the source of his trauma. Now, he saw them as obstacles. Two people who had failed to raise him, who had pushed him toward the edge until he fell. "I was in class, Mom," Leo said, his tone polite but distant. "The bell rang late." "Well, don't let it happen again," his father grunted from the kitchen. "We have bills to pay." Leo nodded, ignoring the sting. He walked up the stairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He locked it. He walked to the mirror above his desk and stared at his reflection. The boy looking back was handsome, but his eyes were different. They held a depth that shouldn't exist in a seventeen-year-old. They were the eyes of a man who had seen the bottom of the barrel and decided to climb out. You have one year, he thought. One year to change everything. He opened his backpack and pulled out his notebook. He didn't write down homework. He wrote down a list. Physical Transformation: Start running. Build strength. No more slouching. Academic Shift: Change major from Sports to Public Service. It was the perfect cover for a future in politics and business. Financial Independence: Secure a job. Not just any job. The IT company. He knew the owner, Mr. Henderson, was struggling with a specific bug in their legacy system. He knew the solution. The Brothers: He needed to get them out. He needed money. Leo closed the notebook. He felt a surge of adrenaline. The fear was gone. The only thing left was the plan. He walked to the window and looked out at the street. Somewhere out there, the people who had ruined his life were living their lives, unaware that the ghost of their future was already watching them. "Let the game begin," he whispered. Chapter 3: The First Move Six months later. The change in Leo was undeniable. He had lost the softness of his teenage years, replaced by a lean, athletic build. His posture was perfect, his movements deliberate. He was no longer the invisible kid; he was the one everyone noticed, even if they didn't know why. He had changed his major. He had started running every morning at 5:00 AM. He had stopped talking to the "friends" who wanted to smoke behind the gym. And now, it was time for the next step. Leo stood outside the glass doors of Henderson Tech Solutions. The sign above the door was slightly faded, just as he remembered. Inside, the office was a chaotic mess of tangled wires and stressed employees. In his past life, he had walked in here as a nervous intern, terrified of making a mistake. He had been fired three months later for "lack of initiative." Today, he walked in with a resume that was a lie, but a lie that would become the truth. "Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, looking up from her computer. "I'm here to see Mr. Henderson," Leo said, his voice calm. "I have a solution to the server crash he's been dealing with for the last three weeks." The receptionist blinked. "Mr. Henderson is in a meeting. And how would you know about that?" "I know a lot of things," Leo said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Tell him it's about the legacy database. Tell him I can fix it in an hour." The receptionist hesitated, then picked up the phone. "Mr. Henderson? There's a young man here. He says he can fix the database." Leo waited. He could hear the muffled voice of Mr. Henderson on the other end. "Send him in," the receptionist said, her eyes wide. Leo walked into the office. Mr. Henderson looked exhausted. He was rubbing his temples, surrounded by stacks of papers. "You're the kid who called?" Henderson asked, his voice weary. "How do you know about the database?" "I don't just know," Leo said, walking over to the main server terminal. "I know the exact line of code that's causing the bottleneck. It's a memory leak in the legacy script from 2008. You've been trying to patch it, but the patch is making it worse." Henderson stared at him. "Who are you?" "My name is Leo," he said, sitting down at the terminal. "And I'm going to fix this." He didn't wait for permission. His fingers flew across the keyboard. He didn't need to think; the code was already in his head, a memory from a future where he had debugged this exact system a thousand times. Ten minutes later, the screen flashed green. "Done," Leo said, leaning back. Henderson stared at the screen, then at Leo. "That... that was supposed to take a team of three people a week." "It was a simple fix," Leo said, standing up. "But I can do more. I can redesign your entire website. I can optimize your network. I can make this company profitable again." Henderson looked at him, a mix of suspicion and awe in his eyes. "What do you want?" "A job," Leo said. "Full time. Or part time, whatever you need. But I want a salary that reflects my value. And I want a say in the IT budget." Henderson laughed, a dry, humorless sound. "You're seventeen. You're a kid." "I'm the only one who can save you," Leo said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "Take the risk, or watch your business die." Henderson was silent for a long moment. Then, he extended his hand. "Welcome to the team, Leo," he said. "Let's see what you can do." Leo shook his hand. He had done it. He had secured his first step toward the empire. Phase One is complete, he thought. Now, the real work begins.
# **MANGA — CHAPTER 1: THE UNKNOWN CREST** **Chapter Length:** ~45–55 pages **Style:** Clean fantasy lineart • strong lighting contrast • cinematic paneling --- ## **PAGE 1 (OPENING SPLASH)** **Full-page splash** A quiet classroom bathed in warm morning light. Dust floats in the air. Caption (top corner): **“Ordinary days don’t announce their end.”** --- ## **PAGES 2–5 — THE TEN STUDENTS** **Page 2** * Panel 1: Ayane solving equations effortlessly, chalk flying. * Panel 2: Ren smirking at a chess app on his phone (phone hidden under desk). * Panel 3: Mika sketching a horned monster—its eyes seem *almost alive*. **Page 3** * Panel 1: Haru stretching lazily at the back. * Panel 2: Yui asleep, sunlight on her face. * Panel 3: Shin typing rapidly, code reflected in his glasses. **Page 4** * Panel 1: Emi flipping flashcards, focused. * Panel 2: Daichi holding a mechanical puzzle. * Panel 3: Daiki leaning over, correcting him—twin synergy. **Page 5** * Panel 1 (wide): Sora staring out the window at the sky. * Panel 2 (close-up): Kaito’s notebook—**blank page**, only his name written. * Panel 3: Kaito’s eyes, observant but unsure. Caption: *“Everyone shines. Except me.”* --- ## **PAGES 6–8 — THE SUMMONING** **Page 6** * Panel 1: Classroom lights flicker. * Panel 2: Students look around, confused. * Panel 3 (low angle): Faint glowing symbols under desks. **Page 7** * Panel 1: Magic circle fully forms across the floor. * Panel 2: Wind explodes—papers and desks lift. * Panel 3: Students screaming as light engulfs them. **Page 8** * Full black page. Small white text in center: **“….”** --- ## **PAGES 9–12 — ANOTHER WORLD** **Page 9** * Panel 1: Kaito’s eyes snap open. * Panel 2: Cold marble beneath his hand. **Page 10** * Double-page spread: **Grand Summoning Hall**—crystal pillars, floating chandeliers, glowing runes. **Page 11** * Panels of knights surrounding them, weapons raised. * Students huddle together, panicked. **Page 12** * Tall figure steps forward—robes flowing. * Close-up of calm, ancient eyes. Caption: **“Archmage Eldorion.”** --- ## **PAGES 13–16 — THE TRUTH** **Page 13** * Eldorion explaining with a magic projection of the world cracking. **Page 14** * Visual metaphors: * A brain overlaid with magic circuits. * Symbols for logic, memory, creativity, empathy. Page 15 Students’ reactions—fear, determination, disbelief. Page 16 * Kaito silent in the back. Thought bubble: *“Intelligence… then why me?”* --- PAGES 17–26 — CREST AWAKENING **Page 17** * Crest Chamber revealed—massive, glowing apparatus. Pages 18–22 * Montage panels: * Crests manifesting clearly. * Fire, wind, light, calculation-based magic. * Chamber stable… controlled. Page 23 * Kaito steps forward. * Eldorion watching closely. Page 24 * The device flickers. * Runes shatter. * Darkness bleeds into the chamber. Page 25 Full-page spread: Kaito’s crest forming—**shifting, glitching, absorbing light. Page 26 * Eldorion’s shocked expression. Text (bold): “An Unknown Crest…? PAGES 27–34 — CONSEQUENCES** Page 27 * Outside the capital—alarm bells ringing. Page 28 * Rift tears open. * Massive silhouette emerging. Page 29 RIFT BEAST reveal—jagged, unstable form. Pages 30–32 * Students on battlements. * Some activate crests instinctively. * Minor monsters repelled. Page 33 Kaito trembling. His crest pulses faintly. Page 34 Magic around him stabilizes—cracks sealing without explosion. Others don’t notice. PAGES 35–40 — THE CHOICE Page 35 Eldorion shouting retreat orders. Page 36 Students pulling back. Page 37 Kaito watching the beast roar. Page 38 Close-up: fist clenched. Page 39 * He steps forward alone. * Air distorts around him. Page 40 * Crest glowing softly—*not violently*. --- PAGE 41 (FINAL PAGE — CLIFFHANGER) Full-page close-up Kaito’s calm eyes reflecting the Rift Beast. Bold text at the bottom: “If I can stop it… then I will.” NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW “The First Battle — When Magic Breaks Its Own Rules."
Episode 1: The Encounter The story begins with Kenshin, a lively and energetic boy in a neatly pressed school uniform, sprinting down a quiet residential street. The morning sun filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. Kenshin greets the neighbors as he zooms past, his cheerful “Good morning!” bringing smiles to their faces. His pace quickens as he checks his watch, realizing he’s dangerously close to being late. Spotting a shortcut through a narrow alley, he hesitates briefly before deciding to take the risk. **“This has to save me at least five minutes,”** he mutters to himself, dashing into the alley. As Kenshin exits the alley, the atmosphere shifts. A group of bullies is cornering another boy, their jeers and threats cutting through the otherwise calm morning. Kenshin instantly recognizes the boy being harassed— “That sounds like- “ “SHIN!?” a quiet but sharp-witted student. Shin meets Kenshin’s eyes and grins despite the situation. Kenshin smirks back and calls out, **“Again huh”** “Oh, hey kenshin” One of the bullies turns, his face twisted in annoyance. **“Who the hell are you supposed to be?”** he snarls. Kenshin steps forward with a confident swagger, cracking his knuckles. **“you guys don’t learn at all,so what’s the point in telling you”** he replies, they’re annoyed now and take their attention to kenshin. **“ I’m the guy who’s going to help kick your ass. Remember this face ,if you even can?”** said kenshin The bullies exchange glances before charging at Kenshin, their fists swinging wildly some actually hitting kenshin and landing some clean shots this gave shin some time to take some out from behind. Kenshin now catches his footing and ducks and weaves however, his movements fluid and precise. He lands a solid punch on one bullies, sending him stumbling back. Shin, seizing the opportunity, blocks another’s strike and counters with a sharp jab. The fight is over quickly as the bullies, bruised and humiliated, retreat. Kenshin looming over them all on the floor, his eyes narrowing. **“Here’s your choice: ya leave my friend here alone, or next time i’ll make sure there won't be a next time.”** “Tch y- yea whatever” they leave begrudgingly not really taking kenshin seriously but backing off for now As the dust settles, Shin dusts himself off and chuckles. **“Well that’s done with. I honestly didn’t expect to see you this morning’.”** Kenshin grins, shaking his head. **“I could say the same to you shin. Nice work back there”** Curious, Kenshin asks, **“Where’d you learn to fight like that?”** Shin hesitates, his expression unreadable. **“My roommate taught me a few things, he’s a karate student”** he replies casually. Kenshin frowns slightly. **“Roommate? I don’t think I’ve ever been to your place.”** Shin quickly changes the subject, glancing at his watch. **!“We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”** Scene: School arrival Realizing the time, Kenshin panics, tugging Shin’s sleeve. **“We’re going to miss the opening ceremony!”** Shin places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. **“Relax. We’ve still got time . Can you still run?”** Kenshin smirks, the fire of competition igniting in his eyes. **“They used to call me ‘The Flash’ for a reason-.”** Shin slaps the fuck out of kenshin Shin stares with an unimpressed look on his face. **“no one calls you that -_- .”** The two race through the streets, weaving through pedestrians and leaping over obstacles. As they near the school gates, the warning bell echoes through the air. With one final burst of speed, they slide into the assembly hall just as the final chime sounds. Breathing heavily, they find seats near the back of the room. A shadowy figure watches from a distance, their face obscured. They mutter under their breath, **“He hasn’t changed one bit.”** A ceremony was held to welcome the students to another academic year as the principal introduced herself and shared a few remarks. She went on to introduce the student body president Saiyaka Ichidori and dismissed the ceremony telling everyone to find their homerooms. After the ceremony, the students are instructed to find their homerooms. Kenshin and Shin scan the assignment board, their names listed under Class 11A. Excited to be in the same class, they make their way to the classroom. Along the way, Kenshin playfully nudges Shin. **“Ready to tackle another year together?”** Shin smirks. **“Always.”** As they enter the classroom, Kenshin immediately approaches a group of students, his natural charisma drawing their attention. **“Hey, I’m Kenshin! What’s up?”** He’s just beginning to exchange names when a voice cuts through the chatter. **“Is this your attempt at making friends, Kenshin?”** Kenshin freezes, recognizing the mocking tone instantly. The source of the voice steps forward, a sly grin on their face, and Kenshin groans. **“Oooof course, it’s you…”** Scene: Arrival of Dante and Karin As the class settles in, the door swings open, and Dante Koruiyu, an old classmate of Kenshin’s, strides in. His confident smirk instantly draws attention. Dante's eyes land on Kenshin, and his smirk widens into a grin. **“Yooo, Kenshin! How’s it goin’? Feels like it’s been ages since I’ve seen ya,”** Dante exclaims, walking up to him. Kenshin leans back slightly, pretending to size him up. **“Danteee ,hahaaa, you look like even more of muscle head >:)”** he teases, making a mock lifting gesture.and nudging shins arm Dante bursts into a laugh but quickly pulls Kenshin into a friendly hug, lowering his voice. **“That’s not funny,”** he grumbles, though there’s no real heat *behind his words. Kenshin chuckles, patting him on the back. **“i’m sorry ;-;”** Before their reunion can go any further, a blur of movement catches Kenshin off guard. A student suddenly appears behind him, aiming a kick at his head. Kenshin ducks just in time, laughing. **“WHAT THE-! H-HEY WATCH IT WILL Y-!”** Turning to face the attacker, he sees Karin Haruno “KARIN!?”Kenshin says, another familiar face from his past. she swiftly delivers a kick to his stomach catching him off guard. Kenshin doubles over, coughing, **“hhrgnn, oow.”** Shin chimes in after the kick “ Well I wasn’t expecting to see her?!” Dante also chimes in “ You said it, thought she was never coming back” Karin crosses her arms, leaning forward slightly. **“You’ve gotten rusty, Kenshin. Keep this up, and I'll even start feeling sorry for you.”** “That was a cheap shot, You always have to beat me up?ugrh”* kenshin says, groaning in pain from the kick* , the door to the classroom slides open with authority. Their teacher, Mr. Abarai, steps in. His sharp gaze silences the chatter, and he claps his hands once. **“Alright, everyone. Take your seats and Let’s get started for today.”** Shin helps Kenshin to his seat as the murmurs start up among the students. **“what was that all about?”* one mutters. “I dunno, kick looked like it hurt though ,”** another adds, prompting a few chuckles. Kenshin rolls his eyes but grins. Scene: Hollow appearance The roll call begins, with each student introducing themselves. Names like Dante Koruiyu, Shin Kuchiki, and Karin Haruno come up, each met with varying reactions. Finally, it’s Kenshin’s turn. He stands, giving a small wave. **“Kenshin Takahashi. Nice to meet you all,”** he says confidently. Class proceeds uneventfully at first, but as Mr. Abarai begins outlining the year’s schedule, Scene Continuation: Hollow Disruption Shin kicks back in his chair, balancing effortlessly on its rear legs, folding a piece of notebook paper with a bored expression. Kenshin side-eyes him, whispering, "Seriously? You look like you’re about to nap." Shin smirks without looking up. "I’m multi-tasking. You should try it sometime, Kenshin." *”i hope you fall. -_-” said kenshin you're always on about something." said karin as she writes in her book Kenshin blinks, taken back. "What did I do ?" he asks under his breath, confusion written across his face as he turns to her. Shin remains leaning and keeps his eyes down, snickering softly at the exchange; he says, " she really got it out for you, Kenshin," muttering, he folded another piece of paper into a small, firm triangle. Dante, having listened to the teasing, snickers from his desk. "You knoww, when a girl acts like that, that means she likes ya kenshin" He grins, nudging Shin with his elbow. Shin chuckles at the thought Karin now “WHAT!” Slightly flustered, Kenshin can't help but laugh "BAHAHAHAHA." “Oh shut it KENSHINN!!” she says flustered and enraged. “ALRIGHT QUIET DOWN OR I’LL KICK YOU ALL OUT OF MY CLASS YOU HEAR ME” said Mr. Abarai tired of the annoying yapping He looks behind eyeing everyone in silence as kenshin gestures to shin The room falls even quieter, the chalk pressing against the board being all that’s heard. the air in the classroom shifts. a faint rumble disturbs the calm. At first, it’s subtle—like a distant vibration. Then it grows louder, shaking the walls and rattling the windows. Students exchange uneasy glances as Mr. Abarai tries to dismiss it. **“Oh? Well that’s odd , an earthquake maybe? ”** But the shaking intensifies, and Shin’s eyes narrow, his instincts flaring. Suddenly, he shouts, **“GET OUT OF THE WAY!”** The ceiling collapses in an explosion of dust and debris. Chaos erupts as students scream and scramble for cover. Acting quickly, Shin pulls Kenshin out of harm’s way, while Dante grabs Karin and shields her. **“Everyone okay?”** Kenshin yells, his voice hoarse. The students shout back, confirming they’re fine—except for one girl who’s pinned under a large piece of rubble. Kenshin and Shin rush to her side, struggling to free her. As they lift the rubble, Shin’s senses prick with unease. He looks around, his heart pounding as he spots something monstrous emerging from the ceiling. A huge, grotesque Hollow peaks its head out and observes, looking for something almost. Shin’s expression hardens. **“Kenshin, we need to move—now!”** Kenshin glances at the terrified students behind them and shakes his head. **“We can’t leave them. That thing could hurt someone!”** The beast now finds what it wanted. kenshin. Shin curses under his breath. **“Fine. We’ll lure it away.”** It slams down onto the floor raising it’s spiritual power causing most of the students to fall asleep, now inching towards the two They come up with a desperate plan: distract the creature and lead it toward a weak section of rubble to create an escape route. Shin taunts the Hollow, drawing its attention, while Kenshin positions himself. But it doesn’t seem to care and locks eyes with kenshin only and pounces towards kenshin Kenshin moving out of the way just in a nick of time It attacks him again, sending him crashing into the classroom door **“AGCKH!”**kenshin groans **“KENSHIN!”**shin yells Kenshin looks up at the creature one more time realizing what it’s after and decides. **“SHIN! CHANGE OF PLANS, IT’S ME THAT IT’S AFTER I’LL DISTRACT IT,AND YOU GET EVERYONE TO SAFETY!”** kenshin now runs off into the hall WHAT?! NO! YOU IDIOT YOU’LL DIE! Shin runs to the doorway worried but he trust’s Kenshin will be ok with how fast a runner he is. “Damnit ok” he looks at the other students and goes to help them out of the room. Kenshin and the hollow rush through the hall turning every corner until a dead end The hollow approaches kenshin **“Finally, *it lets out a barking noise as laughter* you’ve got legs boy, BUT NO BRAIN”** Kenshin shook by its voice and ability to speak. it rushes in to attack, kenshin now looking for ways to dodge knowing it’s probably futile but then time seems to slow only for a blur of movement to intercept the attack. A man in a bucket hat stands between Kenshin and the Hollow, effortlessly blocking the creature’s fist. **“Who… who are you?”** Kenshin stammers. The man doesn’t look back, his voice calm but firm. **“Now’s not the time for introductions.”** Turning his attention to the Hollow, the man addresses it directly. **“A Hollow this bold inside the living world? What are you doing here?”** Kenshin blinks in confusion. **“ a Hollow?”** he mutters to himself. “RrrrGhrr YOU’RE IN MY WAAAY!”the hollow growls The creature lunges again, but the man counters with a devastating blow from behind, sending it flying towards kenshin crashing through the wall and outside the building. **“W- woah”** Kenshin ducks and exclaims. the man jumps out of the hole in the wall disappearing into the wind “He- he’s gone” says kenshin Kenshin sees the hollow fall to the ground and dart off now disappearing into the bush cover behind the school Kenshin is now filled with more questions than answers Kenshin! Shin says as he rounds the corner “Phew your safe”shin says relieved Outside, emergency responders arrive, ushering the students to safety. The students outside are talking about the “earthquake” and about how faulty and weak the school building must be Shin pulls Kenshin to his feet, both of them visibly shaken. **“We should get out of here before anymore weird stuff happens”** Shin says, his tone serious. The school is dismissed for the day, with students sent home as repairs begin. Kenshin walks alongside Shin out of the building, his mind racing with thoughts about the strange man and the monstrous creature. **“What the hell was that thing?”** Kenshin finally asks. Scene Aftermath of hollow As the remaining students leave the school grounds, Shin realizes that Kenshin has disappeared. Concerned, he begins searching through the nearby streets, scanning the area for any sign of his friend. His worry grows as he remembers the strange events of the day—the Hollow, the mysterious man, and Kenshin’s shaken demeanor. Just as Shin rounds a corner near the school, he bumps into Karin, who is also on her way home. She raises an eyebrow at him. **“What’s the rush, Shin? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”** **“It’s Kenshin,”** Shin replies, slightly out of breath. **“He wandered off somewhere. I thought he might’ve been with you.”** Karin frowns, crossing her arms. **“No, I haven’t seen him.he still does that?”** Shin tilts his head. **“What do you mean?”** Karin sighs, leaning against a nearby wall. **“ It’s his way of dealing with things—getting some air, being alone with his thoughts. It’s been like that since we were kids. Just leave him be”** Shin blinks, surprised by her insight. **“You’ve known him that long?”** **“Yeah,”** Karin replies, her tone softening. **“He’s always been like this, especially after his dad… you know…”** Shin’s eyes widen slightly. **“What happened to his dad?”** Karin hesitates, looking away. **“He grew up without him but this isn’t my story to tell It’s a tough subject, Kenshin doesn’t like talking about it,but you should take that up with him your self.”** Shin absorbs this information, feeling a new layer of respect and understanding for his friend., “You know karin, you’re not too bad when your not kicking somebody ’” said shin gratefully Her soft expression shifts to a more stern and annoyed one “oh bug off” “ehehehe” Later that evening, Kenshin sits in his dimly lit room, the soft hum of the evening breeze drifting through his open window. His mind races, replaying the chaos from earlier—the Hollow, the mysterious stranger, and the ominous voice in the alley. He stares at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. **“Was it real? Or am I losing it?”** he mutters. His gaze drifts to his reflection in the window. **“No… it had to be real. There’s no way I imagined all of that.”** The muffled sounds of his family moving about the house draw him back to reality. With a deep sigh, he gets up to grab a snack from the kitchen, hoping to distract himself. Scene: Shin Arrives As Kenshin heads downstairs, a knock at the front door interrupts him. Confused, he hesitates for a moment before opening it. Standing there is Shin, his expression serious but tinged with worry. **“Shin? What are you doing here?”** **“We need to talk,”** Shin replies, his tone leaving no room for argument. **“Come outside.”** The two step onto the porch, the faint glow of the moon illuminating their surroundings. They sit side by side on the wooden steps, the silence between them heavy. **“You looked out of it earlier,”** Shin starts. **“I figured you’d need someone to talk to.”** Kenshin hesitates before speaking. **“It’s just… today was a lot, you know? I’ve never seen anything like that creature before. And that man… Who was he? Why did he call it a Hollow?”** Shin percs up at the word hollow. He exhales slowly, his gaze fixed on the ground. **“I can’t answer all your questions but maybe someday the answers will come.”** They lapse into silence again before Kenshin asks, **“What about you? What’s your story, Shin?”** Shin’s expression softens, and he leans back slightly. **“I lost my mom a few years ago. She… she was everything to me. After she died, I felt lost for a long time. But then I realized I had to keep moving forward, for her.”** Kenshin nods, understanding the pain behind Shin’s words. **“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”** I didn’t change much for this part but it felt almost odd and out of place a little awkward too Before Shin can respond, a piercing scream cuts through the night air, sending a chill down both their spines. They exchange a glance before hearing a familiar, guttural growl echo in the distance. Scene: The Chase Kenshin springs to his feet, his heart pounding. **“That’s it! It’s back!”** **“Wait!”** Shin shouts, grabbing his arm. **“You don’t even know what you’re dealing with!”** But Kenshin pulls free, his determination overriding his fear. Exactly! So their's only one way to find out**”** **“THIS FOOL—HE’S GONNA GET HIMSELF KILLED!”** Shin shouts after him, gritting his teeth. Reluctantly, he takes off after Kenshin. The two race through the quiet streets, following the sounds of the growling hollow They skid to a stop at a open empty street where the massive Hollow looms over a terrified young girl. Its glowing yellow eyes snap toward the newcomers, and a chilling grin spreads across its mask. Scene: Confronting the Hollow **“Shin, get her out of here!”** Kenshin orders, stepping forward. **“You can’t fight that thing-”** Shin protests, but Kenshin cuts him off. **“Just do it! Please!”** Reluctantly, Shin moves toward the girl, grabbing her before the hollow could get his hands on her. shielding her as he leads her away from the monster. Meanwhile, Kenshin squares off against the Hollow, his fists trembling but his resolve unwavering. He lunges forward, throwing a punch at the creature’s leg, but it barely flinches. The Hollow retaliates, swiping at Kenshin with its massive claws. He ducks and rolls, narrowly avoiding the attack. **“You’re fast,”** the Hollow growls, its voice guttural and mocking. **“But speed won’t save you.”** as the hollow kicks shin away and grabs the little girl holding her over his head **“Why don’t you try to attack me I’m sure this poor innocent soul would love to get demolished”** Kenshin stops as he grits his teeth, trying to find an opening, but the creature ligers the girl over them using her as leverage. With a laugh, the Hollow speaks again: **“You reek of strength, boy. That’s why I came to your school. To consume your soul. It’s… delicious.”** Kenshin freezes, his mind racing. **“I Knew it. So everyone WAS put in danger because of me.”** The thought shakes him, but before he can react, the Hollow lunges again. This time, its claws graze his side, sending him tumbling to the ground. The revelation leaves Kenshin paralyzed, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and fear. The realization that his very existence might put others in danger weighs heavily on him. Before he can react, the Hollow lunges, its massive claws wrapping around him like a vice. Pinned, Kenshin struggles to break free, the Hollow’s dark energy sapping his strength. Shin watches from a distance, his expression shifting from shock to distress as he sees Kenshin’s anguish. In that moment, Shin recalls a haunting memory—an incident from his past when his inability to act led to devastation. That same suffocating guilt had once consumed him, leaving scars that never fully healed. The image of that day flashes in his mind, reigniting his determination. Shin clenches his fists, muttering to himself, **“I won’t let this happen again. Not this time.”** He reaches into his pocket and pulls out what looks like an ornate candy dispenser. He pops one of the capsules into his mouth, and in an instant, a dramatic transformation occurs. His physical body collapses lifelessly to the ground, but standing above it is Shin in a black robe, his Zanpakutō gleaming in hand. Kenshin stares in disbelief, his voice trembling. **“Shin… What… what are you?”** Shin steps forward, his resolve clear. **“I’m a Soul Reaper,. And I’m going to end this now.”** The hollow now grabs a distracted kenshin The Hollow lets out a guttural laugh, mocking Shin’s bold declaration. **“You? End me? What could a brat like you possibly hope to achieve?”** *Shin readies himself* Now tell me rrunt, which do i devour first, so delicious how about both at the same time” * the beast opens it’s jaws and brings the two closer to it’s mouth* Without hesitation, Shin moves with blinding speed at the hollow, But the hollow uses his hand with the girl in a flash clenching tightly and waving her in from of shin, “NUH UH UUUUH”,it says like a true troll but shin acted quickly and slammed his sword to the ground causing him to ricochet toward’s the hand kenshin was in and severe the hollow’s hand clean off freeing kenshin. The hollow was bewildered and caught off guard yelling in pain but tried to maintain his composure It the directs it’s shriek toward shin paralyzing him mid air for a few seconds The monster uses this time to get the jump on shin and slams him to the ground near kenshin with arm that had a severed hand. one knee. A wave of weakness washes over him—his energy is fading fast.**”what’s happening, somethings wrong”** , coughing violently as blood drips from the corner of his mouth. Kenshin rushes to his side, desperation etched across his face. **“Shin! Are you okay?”** Struggling to stand, Shin looks up at Kenshin, his voice weak but determined. **“There’s only one way to stop this thing now… Kenshin, I have to transfer my Soul Reaper powers to you.”** Kenshin’s eyes widened. **“What? That’s insane! What will happen to you ?”** Shin nods solemnly. **“I don’t know But right now, you’re the only one who can finish this. Kenshin expression turns to a mix of emotions as he struggles to think properly on what to do If we don’t do this,not just us. But hundreds…”** He grips his sword. And kenshin looks back at the hollows as it licks it’s wound**“ no….”** said shin, “thousands” kenshin wincing at the thought of knowing what comes next. “Will die” said shin hopelessly. Kenshin only imagining is already frustrated”ALRIGHT! I’LL DO IT COME ON WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME!” . Shin nods with determination places the hilt of his Zanpakutō against Kenshin’s chest, and a radiant light engulfs them both. Kenshin gasps as an overwhelming surge of energy floods his body. His school uniform transforms into a black Soul Reaper robe, and in his hand materializes a sword, pulsing with spiritual energy. The Hollow, sensing the shift in power, hesitates “Hrnmm?” Kenshin gives a rough look at the beast not saying a word but a thousand were spoken with just that short glance. The tension builds on the battlefield … **“GGRAAAUUUGHHHH”** the creature sends it arm with no hand and kenshin but he just on top of the arm and sends a wave of energy slicing it’s other arm with gir inl it setting her free she now runs to shin to feel safe , Now i can end i end you for real this time The creature now knowing it’s out of options uses it’s technique from earlier at the school creating a mist surrounding itself and kenshin hoping to cause him to sleep so it can eat him and get away Kenshin sends a wave of energy directly at the hollow’s torso through the smoke however, causing an explosion clearing some of the fog but not all and the hollow submerges itself into mist once more, the creature now sends a kick from the mist but kenshin avoids it and slashes it’s leg off causing the hollow to lose it’s balance and fall over kenshin jumps out of the smoke directly in front of the full moon he charges his blade up once more and sends a big wave of energy down on the dastardly hollow ending it once and for all. Shin utterly gobsmacked his useless ass couldn’t believe how cool it was to see Kenshin fight like that. Kenshin falls to the ground panting heavily as he lands on his feet “Kenshin you did it! that was incredible!”shin said happily in admiration Kenshin turns to shin who’s behind him giving a thumbs up hiding his want to collapse to the ground. “Now come on let’s deal with this litte girl, quickly” shin says He gestures toward the spirit of the young girl who had been held captive by the hollow**““You need to perform a konso on her.”** Kenshin raised an eyebrow, confused. “A… what?” Shin sighed, crossing his arms. “It’s a konso. You use the end of your sword’s guard to send good spirits over to the Soul Society. Basically, it’s like sending them to what you people call heaven.” Kenshin blinked, still processing the explanation. “You just… tap them on the forehead or something?” Shin nodded, motioning toward the girl. “Exactly. Use the guard, press it to her forehead, and say konso. It’ll help her move on.” Understanding now, Kenshin walked over to the spirit of the girl, kneeling beside her. His expression softened as he spoke gently, comforting her. “It’s okay. You’re going to a better place. Somewhere peaceful. I promise.” He gripped his Zanpakuto and rested the end of the guard softly against her forehead. “KONSO!” a soft light envelops her form. “You’re free now,” he says softly, watching as her spirit fades into the sky. As the light dims, Kenshin collapses, his body finally giving out. Shin, with the last of his strength, drags himself toward Kenshin’s side. Together, they lay on the ground, battered but alive. Shin’s voice echoes in Kenshin’s mind as shin looks to the stars above him : **“This is just the beginning, Kenshin. The world you’ve stepped into… it’s far greater than you or I could ever imagine.”** The words linger as the episode concludes with the caption: TO BE CONTINUED.
A weary male figure in his late 20s, messy and unkempt dark hair, prominent dark circles under sunken eyes, a gaunt face with a stubble, wearing a tattered dark trench coat over a high-collared black tactical outfit, a melancholic and detached expression. A young woman with a radiant face, sparkling eyes, a warm and gentle smile, long flowing hair, wearing a soft pastel-colored cardigan over a simple white dress, holding an umbrella in one hand and reaching out with the other, an expression of pure kindness. A man with sharp facial features and a stern gaze, wearing a classic brown trench coat, a tailored suit underneath, a fedora hat slightly tilted, holding a thick file and a lit cigarette between his fingers, looking intensely focused. A young man with a focused and reliable look, messy short hair, wearing a loose hoodie and a leather jacket, sitting behind the wheel of a sports car, glancing back over his shoulder with a knowing and serious expression. A weary man with a dark coat standing alone in a rainy city street at night, looking dejected. A young woman with a bright smile walks up to him, holding an umbrella over both of them and offering a warm blanket. He looks at her with surprise and hesitation. A tired-looking man in a dark trench coat running through a dark alleyway, looking over his shoulder. Behind him, a detective in a suit and hat is pursuing, shining a flashlight and holding up a police badge, his face determined. Two young men rushing towards a sleek car parked in a back alley. The protagonist, looking exhausted, is being helped into the passenger seat by his friend, who is dressed in a hoodie. The friend has a serious expression and is looking back to check for pursuers. Inside a simple, warm apartment. A young woman is gently tending to a small cut on the hand of the weary-looking protagonist, who is sitting at her kitchen table. He watches her work with a conflicted expression, his true identity hidden.
fter using his lightness art for quite some time, the place where Mok Gyeong-un came to a stop. That place was the vicinity of the tall pagoda where Origin Kill Pavilion’s manor was located. Aside from the main building where the Society Leader was said to reside, the tall pagoda, called the tallest structure in the inner castle, stood attached to Origin Kill Pavilion’s manor. That was why, though Mok Gyeong-un still did not fully know the geography of the inner castle, it had not been particularly difficult for him to find it. At that moment, Blue Spirit’s voice sounded in his ear. -Sentient being. Are you not pushing yourself too hard? -Pushing myself? -You may have crossed the wall, but if something like what happened earlier occurs again, you may be the one who dies instead. Blue Spirit was worried about what had happened earlier. That strange method that had rendered even the rapidly strengthened Mok Gyeong-un utterly unable to move. If he were caught in that state and his throat got cut, it would bring about an irretrievable situation. -It is not too late yet. Let us go back. -No. If we go back, it will be too late. -Haah. What do you mean, too late? -If he is someone who can cast such a bizarre technique, then there is no way to know what he might do. Mok Gyeong-un was worrying about something different from Blue Spirit. If it were something that could be dealt with to some extent, there would be no need to rush. But if it was a technique against which there was no way to respond at all, then the answer was to strike first instead. Mok Gyeong-un believed he had to deal with the man before that opponent did anything. -Really, whenever it is a time like this, you stubbornly refuse to listen. Blue Spirit clicked her tongue. Once this sentient being brat had made up his mind, he would never bend. Short of her manifesting and dragging him away by force, there would likely be no means to stop him. So Blue Spirit said, -Tsk tsk. Nothing can be done. Then avoid breaking through from the front. -That is the plan. If he went in from the front, it would instead amount to letting the opponent know that he had come. To make himself hard to see with the naked eye, he had moved all the way here through the densest shadows. Ever since crossing the wall, ordinary people could hardly even sense his presence. That was why those martial artists guarding the front of the manor were chatting among themselves without even realizing he was nearby. -At least it is fortunate that night has fallen. At night, fewer people moved about and there were many more places to hide. Mok Gyeong-un opened his qi sense and focused on Ghost Eyes. It was to identify the easiest route possible. -Gooooooo! ‘…Oh?’ Once he opened Ghost Eyes, he could see two forces beyond the wall at roughly the level of the entrance to the transcendent peak realm. ‘To station two transcendent-peak masters here.’ If they had just entered the transcendent peak realm, it would not be excessive to say they were on the level of great unit leaders. It seemed the Shadow Sect Master had been right when he said that the Society Leader valued Origin Kill Pavilion highly and that its security was strict. Moreover, most of the other forces guarding the manor were at least of first-rate level or above. If someone infiltrated out of mere curiosity, the probability of ending up in trouble would be high. Of course, Mok Gyeong-un did not care about any of that at all now. -Swoosh! Mok Gyeong-un’s figure scattered like mist. It was Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step of the Na Family, stolen from Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang. When Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step was used in earnest, it was so fast that even transcendent-peak masters would have difficulty noticing it with the naked eye. -Swoosh! In a single bound, Mok Gyeong-un went over the wall and inside. Then he moved rapidly through the manor. There were fifteen buildings in total inside the manor. Among them would be the occult practitioner who had used that bizarre method on him, a technique that lay outside the bounds of common sense. -Do you intend to search every one of them one by one? -I have to. But if I do that, it will take too long, so I should begin with the main hall. -The main hall? -Yes. There was no way an occult practitioner with such tremendous spell power that he could instantly detect even Blue Spirit’s aura was an ordinary person. At the very least, Mok Gyeong-un guessed he would be an executive-level figure or above within Origin Kill Pavilion. -If that is the case, would it not be easier to tell that fellow Jo Ui-gong what he looks like and have him identify him? -Oh. That is a good idea. Mok Gyeong-un agreed with Blue Spirit’s suggestion. Jo Ui-gong had originally been the pavilion lord and master who had become pavilion lord by toppling In Seo-ok, the former lord of Origin Kill Pavilion and his own teacher. He would identify the man at once. With that in mind, Mok Gyeong-un headed straight for the main hall building. -Swoosh! Throughout the time he used Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, not a single person noticed Mok Gyeong-un’s movements. Not long after, Mok Gyeong-un arrived at the main hall of Origin Kill Pavilion. Upon reaching the front of the main hall, he surveyed the surroundings and looked for a way to enter. ‘Two at the entrance.’ Two masters of the absolute peak were guarding it. With the doors closed, it would be difficult to enter without them noticing. Then he discovered one open window on the second floor of the main hall. There were also first-rate guards on the second-floor corridor who seemed to be escort warriors, but fortunately there was no such person at the open window. -Tap! Tap! Mok Gyeong-un formed a hand seal and used the Six-Person Boundary Art. He used the Six-Person Boundary Art so that he could detect spell power and prepare for any occult arts that might be present. He could feel a faint spell power at the open window. It seemed that an occult technique had indeed been laid there. ‘There is no answer except to go in and dispel the technique at the same time.’ -Tap! Tap! ‘Kishimojin Divine Seal!’ Folding in his thumb and pressing three fingers together to form a hand seal, Mok Gyeong-un recited a dispelling incantation and, while using Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, ran upside down under the third-floor roof and thrust his body through the open window. At the same time, he changed the seal in his hand into a blade seal. “By urgent law and command, dispel!” As he thrust the blade-seal hand sign forward, the surroundings instantly went quiet. It looked as if nothing had happened, but the nine talismans attached to the wall crumbled into ash. -Pasusususu! ‘Was it the Nine Shadows Piercing Spell?’ It was an occult art in which nine shadows bound an intruder and pierced holes through the four limbs. It was quite an aggressive technique. As expected, the fact that this had been installed meant that the window had been intentionally left open. But that did not matter. -Swoosh! Mok Gyeong-un used Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step again and moved along the corridor. There were six guards in total protecting the second-floor corridor. All of them were only at first-rate level, and not one of them could truly obstruct Mok Gyeong-un. -Swoosh! Mok Gyeong-un undid the formations of occult arts installed in between and moved quickly, climbing up to the stairs to the upper floor in a single bound. When he reached the top, Mok Gyeong-un paused for a moment in the corridor on the third floor. ‘Hmm.’ There was a cloud bridge installed there leading to the tall pagoda. Seeing that it allowed passage directly from the third floor, it seemed the tall pagoda too was used by the executives within Origin Kill Pavilion. Yet something felt strange. -What is it? At Blue Spirit’s question, Mok Gyeong-un looked around and said, -I do not sense any forces. -You do not sense any forces? -No. The main hall building extended up to the fourth floor. He knew that the pavilion lord’s chamber was on the fourth floor, yet there was no one guarding the third floor. Ever since crossing the wall, Mok Gyeong-un’s qi sense had become even sharper. Yet on this floor in particular, there was neither what could be called a trap nor anyone standing guard. That only made him feel more wary. Mok Gyeong-un looked upward. He could sense a single force on the upper floor. It was a very familiar one, that of Jo Ui-gong, the current pavilion lord and a Square Moon. After examining the surroundings even more carefully, Mok Gyeong-un finally went up to the upper floor. In any case, the pavilion lord Jo Ui-gong was outwardly his master, and because he was bound by the Chain of Commanding Words, he was little different from a slave and would have no choice but to obey his command. -Swoosh! Thus Mok Gyeong-un came to stand in front of the pavilion lord’s chamber. Preparing in case anything unforeseen happened, Mok Gyeong-un formed a simple Kishimojin Divine Seal with his left hand and opened the door of the pavilion lord’s chamber with his right. -Creeeak! As the door opened and he stepped inside, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed. The reason was, ‘An illusion technique.’ An illusion technique was unfolding before his eyes. For Mok Gyeong-un, who had Ghost Eyes open, most illusion techniques did not work. That was because he could see that they were false images formed from spell power. The scene shown by the illusion looked like pavilion lord Jo Ui-gong sitting at his office desk. But in truth, ‘Hah…’ Inside, he could see Jo Ui-gong bound naked by all four limbs, his mind gone blank. “Hehehehehik.” Jo Ui-gong wriggled his body and let out a grotesque laugh. Yet his expression was twisted like that of a man in agony. -…It seems we have been found out. -It seems so. There was no way he would be in such a miserable state otherwise. Mok Gyeong-un lightly waved the hand that held the seal while chanting the dispelling spell. -Srrr. At once, the illusion cast at the entrance of the pavilion lord’s chamber unraveled. Once the illusion broke, the overlapping effect before his eyes disappeared, and the sight of the current pavilion lord Jo Ui-gong with his limbs restrained became clear. -Wait. Do not go closer. At Blue Spirit’s words, Mok Gyeong-un stopped where he was. Even without her warning, he would have stopped because he had already discovered something. It was because of Jo Ui-gong. -Thudududuk! Grrr! “Uheuheuhk!” Something moved beneath Jo Ui-gong’s skin, making it bulge and writhe. The shape was extremely disgusting, resembling centipedes. They were crawling all over beneath his skin, and every time they moved, Jo Ui-gong bled and writhed in pain. And this was not just one of them. No, it seemed there were dozens, perhaps hundreds, moving all across the skin of his whole body. -Vile indeed. With things like that burrowing and eating through his entire body, it was only natural that his mind had gone. With sharpened eyes, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the Chain of Commanding Words on Jo Ui-gong’s arm. The chain had dug into Jo Ui-gong’s wrist. -It seems he tried to fight against the chain’s restriction. -That appears to be the case. The one who had reduced Jo Ui-gong to that condition would have been trying to find out who had placed the Chain of Commanding Words on him. That was why he must have committed such cruelty. But once a man was bound by the Chain of Commanding Words, betrayal was absolutely impossible. So the clash of occult arts and occult arts seemed to have left Jo Ui-gong this ruined. -Do you think you can undo it? At Blue Spirit’s question, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head. This was the first time he had ever seen such an occult technique. It was almost impressive that Jo Ui-gong had not died already with that many bug-like things crawling under the skin of his whole body. -…It seems it was him. -Him? You mean that bastard? -Yes. That being who had instantly sensed Blue Spirit’s presence and then, through a method operating on a different axis, had stolen every sensation from Mok Gyeong-un’s limbs except for his consciousness. It seemed likely that being was the one who had reduced Jo Ui-gong to this state. ‘Ah.’ After staring at Jo Ui-gong, Mok Gyeong-un drew a line with his sword-fingers, his eyes turning emotionless. -Slash! Sharp sword energy cut through the air of the pavilion lord’s chamber. At the same time, a red line appeared at Jo Ui-gong’s neck, and then, -Srrr! Thud! His head fell to the floor. Mok Gyeong-un let out a light breath. Now that Jo Ui-gong no longer had any value as a card to use, the only thing he could do for him was to take his life cleanly. If he tried to save him by force, it would only end up binding his own feet. Mok Gyeong-un gave a faint laugh. ‘It is not proving easy after all.’ It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jo Ui-gong, who bore the title of Square Moon, had possessed greater skill in occult arts than any occult practitioner Mok Gyeong-un had encountered. Yet to think someone like him could be dealt with this helplessly… Now Mok Gyeong-un could form some idea. That being who had reduced Jo Ui-gong to this state, sensed Blue Spirit’s spiritual power, and pursued them all the way to the brink. ‘…Is it a man called Jo Tae-cheong?’ That eldest senior brother whom Jo Ui-gong, Square Moon, had feared. He seemed by far the most likely. [My eldest senior brother Jo Tae-cheong possesses spell power rivaling Master’s. To me, he is absolutely beyond handling.] Those were the words Jo Ui-gong had once spoken to him. Because Jo Ui-gong had even subdued In Seo-ok, the lord of Origin Kill Pavilion, Mok Gyeong-un had thought that if Jo Ui-gong made full preparations, he would certainly be able to resist. But it now seemed he had underestimated him. Rather than the arrogant, aged In Seo-ok, this seemed to be an existence far more troublesome to deal with. He might even be a stronger occult practitioner than Jo Ui-gong had expected. ‘If I do not kill him now, he will become troublesome.’ Killing intent flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes. It was at that moment. -Step! At once, the sound of footsteps reached Mok Gyeong-un’s ear. -Step! The moment he heard the second footstep, Mok Gyeong-un turned his head back. -What is it? -…It is him. Mok Gyeong-un’s memory far surpassed imagination. Since he could remember even the stride and sound of an opponent’s footsteps, he could identify who it was at once from that alone. It was undoubtedly the same being that had entered the old shrine. -He is coming? -Yes. -What will you do? -…Kill him. There was no need to hesitate. Even if this being was a tremendous master of occult arts, there was only one point that mattered. If he killed him before the man could cast a technique, that would be enough. Once Mok Gyeong-un reached that conclusion, his actions became extremely fast. -Swoosh! Mok Gyeong-un’s figure scattered like mist. At the same time, using Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, Mok Gyeong-un burst out of the pavilion lord’s chamber and rushed down the corridor in a high-speed movement. -Ssssss! To Mok Gyeong-un, who was moving at high speed, the being walking along the corridor was no different from someone moving at a greatly slowed pace. It was that ordinary-looking occult practitioner in the gray yin-yang robe. This time, unlike in the shrine, his senses had not been sealed, so he could see the practitioner’s aura clearly. And yet, ‘The aura overlaps?’ Something was strange. As he rushed toward the man in high-speed movement, the aura was unlike that of ordinary people. Since opening Ghost Eyes, auras had become visible to him in formed shapes, and this man’s aura appeared overlapped. As though it were not one existence, but two existing together. Yet unlike the extraordinary spell power, the overlapping aura itself was not much different from that of an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts. That was why killing him should not have posed much of a problem. -Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! In an instant, Mok Gyeong-un passed by the occult practitioner and stood directly behind him, raising sword energy in his knife-hand. Because the man had not learned martial arts, he was still moving forward at a very slow pace. So Mok Gyeong-un aimed to cut his throat in a single strike. -Swaaaaaaa! But at that very moment. The forehead of the slowly walking occult practitioner suddenly split open. -Jjeojeojeok! And then, -Flinch! In that instant, Mok Gyeong-un frowned. The reason was that the small aura overlapping the occult practitioner suddenly surged to an absurd level. And that aura was incomparably sinister and ominous. But there was no way this alone would make Mok Gyeong-un stop. Mok Gyeong-un still went to cut the practitioner’s throat. Yet the instant the sword energy of his knife-hand was about to reach the neck, -Kwaaaaaang! Something suddenly pressed down on Mok Gyeong-un’s shoulder. At the same time, the floor shattered and Mok Gyeong-un’s body dropped straight down. -Kwakwang! Mok Gyeong-un’s body fell down from the third floor and, not stopping there, smashed through the floor again and fell lower. Mok Gyeong-un lifted his head and looked at the being pressing down on him. They were two enormous hooves. Between those hooves, he could see a pair of vicious eyes and grotesque horns. -It is Earth Ram! Blue Spirit hurriedly spoke to Mok Gyeong-un. This was that strange entity of Mount Kunlun which had pursued her before. True to a strange entity of demon-beast rank, its demonic force was at a level utterly incomparable to fierce beasts or monster beasts. Under the crushing force with which it was pressing him down, Mok Gyeong-un’s body smashed through the second-floor floor and all the way to the first floor. -Kwakwakwang! It looked as though the creature meant to crush him to death just like this. However, the moment Mok Gyeong-un’s feet touched the hard first-floor ground, unlike the wooden corridor, -Jjeojeojeojeok! The floor split in all directions, and Mok Gyeong-un redirected the crushing force through the soles of his feet before swinging his knife-hand toward Earth Ram’s face. -Chwak! At that instant, one of Earth Ram’s vicious eyes split in half, and purple blood sprayed out. Earth Ram, its one eye cut open, let out a roar of pain. -Kwooooooooar! The roar created shockwaves and shook the surroundings. The walls shattered, and it became utter chaos. At the same time, enraged, the demon-beast Earth Ram ran wild and tried to stomp Mok Gyeong-un to death with its hooves. ‘Annoying.’ Mok Gyeong-un dodged it and tried to counterattack, But then it happened. -Paang! Paang! Something like an invisible barrier blocked Earth Ram’s hooves. As he was wondering what this was, “Hey!” ‘!?’ A pretty short-haired girl in maid’s clothes, forming a hand seal with one hand, waved urgently at Mok Gyeong-un and shouted,
Một ngày đẹp trời ở Kivotos, sensei đi dạo cùng với Hina, vừa đi vừa trog chuyện. “Sensei, em có điều này muốn nói.” “Điều gì vậy em?” “Về chuyện có liên quan đến Trung học Abydos.” “Abydos có chuyện gì à?’ “Hình như chuyện này cũng có Hoshino bị liên lụy.” “Hina...em có chắc không vậy?” “Em không chắc cho lắm nhưng chắc chắn có kẻ đang cố nhắm đến Abydos.” Sensei đứng trầm ngâm suy nghĩ một lúc lâu. Nhận thấy sensei như vậy. Hina nói: “Thầy đừng kể chuyện này với bất kỳ ai ở Abydos, đặc biệt là Hoshino vì nếu biết thì em ấy sẽ hành động cực kỳ nguy hiểm.” “Vậy à...” Tối hôm đó, sensei ở lại trường. Đêm ấy, trường học vắng lặng. Sensei ngồi một mình trong phòng giáo viên, ánh đèn vàng hắt xuống trang giấy trắng. Bên ngoài, gió sa mạc thổi qua khung cửa, mang theo hơi nóng khô khốc. Trong lòng Sensei, lời cảnh báo của Hina cứ vang vọng: Abydos đang bị nhắm đến… nhưng chưa rõ bởi ai. “Có lẽ mình phải giữ kín chuyện này. Các em… vẫn còn quá ngây thơ để gánh nặng này.” Sensei khẽ thở dài, tựa lưng vào ghế. Đêm trôi qua chậm chạp, như muốn thử thách sự kiên nhẫn. Rồi bình minh đến. Ánh nắng đầu ngày rọi xuống cổng trường, xua đi bóng tối của đêm qua. Sensei khoác áo, bước ra sân, và như thường lệ, lại đến lớp cùng các em học sinh Abydos. Sáng hôm sau, ánh nắng sa mạc rọi xuống cổng Abydos. Sensei bước vào, đôi giày để lại dấu hằn trên lớp cát nóng. “Sensei!” – Shiroko vẫy tay, nụ cười trong trẻo như xua tan cái nắng gắt. Serika thì cau có: “Thầy đến muộn rồi đó, em chờ mãi để hỏi bài tập.” Nonomi ôm chồng sách cao ngất, vừa đi vừa lẩm bẩm: “Hôm nay phải dọn thư viện nữa…” Ayane chỉnh lại kính, khẽ nói: “Sensei, hôm nay em có bản báo cáo muốn thầy xem.” Hoshino khoác tay sau đầu, ngáp dài: “Thầy đến rồi à… vậy thì hôm nay em sẽ nghỉ ngơi thêm chút nữa.” Sensei mỉm cười, nhìn từng gương mặt quen thuộc. Trong lòng, nỗi lo về lời Hina vẫn còn đó, nhưng trước mắt Sensei chỉ thấy một gia đình nhỏ đang cố gắng sống sót giữa sa mạc khắc nghiệt. Ngày nào cũng vậy, Sensei cùng các em đi tuần quanh trường, dạy thêm vài bài học, hoặc đơn giản chỉ ngồi nghe các em kể chuyện. Những khoảnh khắc ấy khiến Sensei cảm thấy Abydos không chỉ là một ngôi trường, mà là một nơi để bảo vệ bằng cả sinh mạng. Lại một đêm nữa sensei ở lại trường. Dường như sensei đã quá quen với việc ngủ lại ở trường thay vì đi về nhà cách trường đoạn khá xa và phải đứng rất lâu để chờ xe buýt. Nhưng đêm nay sensei cảm thấy khung cảnh có gì đó hơi khác thường mặc dù ngôi trường vẫn im lặng về đêm như cũ. Sensei mở cửa sổ phòng và nhìn lên bầu trời đêm và nhận ra trên trời không có lấy một ngôi sao nào. Semsei lúc này cảm thấy như có gì đó đang theo dõi mình từ xa dù cả Kivotos đã tắt đèn và không có lấy một bóng dáng ai trên những con đường. Sensei khẽ khép cửa sổ, nhưng ngay lúc ấy, một âm thanh nhỏ vang lên từ sân trường. Tiếng kim loại va chạm, hay tiếng bước chân rất khẽ? Sensei lặng người, tim đập nhanh hơn. “Có ai… ở đây sao?” Nhưng khi nhìn xuống, sân trường vẫn tối đen, không một bóng người. Sensei khẽ nhíu mày. Đêm nay, có gì đó thật sự khác thường.
Page Layout: 6 panels Context/Sub Info for AI: The Agents are not fully powered yet; fear, confusion, awe dominate. Only Obasi appears fully powerful. Kamiye is the first to arrive; others (Joshua/Agent Xata, Nimi/Ayakoji, Agent Black, Jamui, Ocean, Aiden, Michael) appear later. System messages guide them; The Ark is the hub. Powers are present but subtle — no full auras yet. Perspective emphasizes hierarchy: Obasi is towering/calm, others small/uncertain. Environment: Roblox-inspired fantasy, colored manwha vibes, cinematic angles. Mood: suspense, tension, mystery. Panel 1: Scene: Kamiye in his dimly lit room, sitting at desk, computer glowing. Expression: curious, slightly excited. Text: "Another game… but this one feels different." Color/Style: warm room lights, soft shadows, glowing blue from screen, colored manwha style. Panel 2: Scene: Kamiye being transported; room fragments breaking apart, light swirling around him. Expression: surprise, confusion, fear. Text: "What… is happening?!" Color/Style: bright white and cyan light, fragments floating, colored manwha style. Panel 3: Scene: Kamiye lands on a huge empty platform called The Ark, with floating gates, twilight sky. Expression: awe + fear. Text: "...Where am I?" Color/Style: soft mist, muted environment colors, focus on Kamiye, cinematic perspective. Panel 4: Scene: Obasi appears far ahead, calm, powerful; light hitting him from behind. Expression: confident, mysterious. Text: "Welcome… to the Roblox Trials." Color/Style: contrast bright vs shadow, only Obasi looks fully powerful. Panel 5: Scene: Floating holographic system screen above Kamiye. Expression: frozen in fear/confusion. Text: "Player identified: Kamiye. You are eligible for the Agent Trials. Stand by for further instructions." Color/Style: holographic blue glow, semi-transparent text overlay. Panel 6: Scene: Obasi steps closer; Kamiye instinctively backs up. Expression: Kamiye – fear + anxiety; Obasi – calm, observing. Text: "Only the worthy will inherit the power of the Nexus. Watch carefully… and prepare yourself." Color/Style: twilight tones, soft contrast, perspective emphasizes Kamiye shrinking. Extra Notes for AI: Focus on subtle power hints for Kamiye and system messages. Only Obasi shows clear dominance/presence. Perspective: low-angle shots for Obasi, medium shots for Kamiye, cinematic framing. Expressions: fear, awe, confusion, curiosity. Environment: floating gates, misty twilight, Roblox fantasy aesthetic, colored manwha style.
“Anime‑style teenage boy named Riven, the hero, 17 years old, medium black hair with one messy fringe over his left eye. Sharp but very tired eyes, light bags under them, sleepy expression like he just woke up. Athletic, fit body, looks like a gym and sports guy. Wears a neat school uniform: white shirt, dark blazer, striped tie. One sleeve slightly rolled up, thin black wristband on one wrist. He walks normally like other students, no wheelchair or stick, just looks exhausted from lack of sleep. Manga style, semi‑realistic, clean lines, soft shading, school pathway background.” kaito best friend of riven, Anime‑style teenage boy, 17 years old, short neat dark‑brown hair combed to the side, friendly eyes, relaxed smile. Medium height, athletic but not as intense as his friend Riven. Wears the same school uniform but with blazer slightly open on top. Casual vibe, maybe a hoodie hanging off his bag or over one shoulder. Looks like he had a normal night’s sleep, calm and supportive expression. Manga style, semi‑realistic, clean lines, school background, walking beside a very tired friend.” Panel 1 (wide shot): Early morning at a school, a paved pathway with students walking. Two teenage boys walking toward school. The first boy, named Riven, looks very tired and sleepy but walks normally. He has medium black hair with one messy fringe over his left eye, light bags under his eyes, athletic build, neat school uniform with one sleeve rolled up and a thin black wristband. The second boy, named Kaito, looks relaxed and friendly, short neat dark‑brown hair, blazer slightly open, casual vibe, walking beside Riven. Panel 2 (close‑up Riven): Riven’s sleepy face, eyes half‑open, hand lightly rubbing his temple, slight tired smile, backpack on his shoulder. Panel 3 (Kaito worried): Kaito looking at Riven, slightly raised eyebrow, concerned expression. Speech bubble: ‘Riven, did you even sleep yesterday?’ Panel 4 (Riven determined): Riven looks straight ahead with calm, focused eyes, aura of quiet determination, slightly blurred background. Speech bubble: ‘Kind of… not much… but I won’t faint until I win.’
Keith slouched on his couch, the glow of his phone illuminating the dark corners of his apartment. The bottle on the table was almost empty, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t stop staring at the screen. Clair. She was kissing Jonny. His best friend. The same Jonny he had told just days ago that he was going to confess. I guess I was just the dancing monkey, he thought bitterly. Always there, always reliable, never the one chosen. A sharp knock at the door yanked him out of his spiral. Tipsy and unsteady, he stumbled to open it. She was standing there. Clair. At least, that’s what he told himself. She looked frantic, her hair slightly messy, her eyes wide. Without waiting for an invitation, she stepped inside. "Do you know where Clair left my files?" she asked, scanning the room with a sense of urgency. Keith blinked. Why is she talking in third person? he thought, but he didn’t dwell on it. He was too focused on the fact that it was her. "They should be somewhere around here," he said, rubbing his temple. She spotted a folder on the table and snatched it up. "Found them," she said, relief flashing across her face. She turned to leave, hand reaching for the door. Before she could, Keith’s hand was already on the door, stopping her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the apartment fell into silence. Time seemed to stretch. He moved closer, heart hammering. He took her hand. She froze—then didn’t pull away. The folder slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a soft thud. Keith leaned in. He kissed her. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she kissed him back. The world narrowed down to that single, electrifying moment. Neon lights from the city outside spilled across their faces, painting the room in sharp colors. He barely noticed when they pulled apart, both breathless. Morning came far too quickly. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, burning his eyes. His head throbbed, a reminder of last night’s haze. He turned in the bed and felt warmth beside him. His stomach dropped. The hair spilling across the pillow wasn’t brown. It was jet black. Recognition hit like a punch to the gut. Olivier Clair. Clair’s older sister. His boss. Keith froze, unable to process what had happened, the memories of last night coming back in a flood of panic, confusion, and disbelief.
‎Katsuki used to wear his scars with pride, like a trophy - because they were something to be proud of. It meant that he survived every harsh battle he's fought, and his marked body was a reflection of that. He's never thought that his scars made him look worse - infact, he thought they made him look badass. He always wanted some cool ass scars. ‎ ‎But now? When he's 22 years old and nearly every inch of his body was marked by some kind of scar? Oh god, he's never hated himself more. ‎ ‎He looked at himself in the mirror. Like, actually looked at himself. For a good 10 minutes, just blankly staring at his almost naked body. And that's when he realized, he was fucking disgusting. ‎ ‎His scars weren't scars of victory, they were marks of failure. His negligence of not being able to keep himself safe. And now that he's realized that, he thinks it drags him down. He's ugly, disgusting, and filthy - for sure. ‎ ‎His scars make him look ugly. The bakugo Katsuki, being marked all over. Other heroes barely had any scars, so why does he have them? It just shows how goddamn weak he is. ‎ ‎He can't even recognize his body anymore. ‎ ‎Even his face is scarred. So no matter how much he tried to hide his body by wear his winter hero costume despite it being hot as fuck and no matter how many times he covered his arms whenever his costume, his face was something he couldn't exactly hide. ‎ ‎But he still did anything to keep his body hidden. Even from you. The goddamn love of his life. His partner. ‎ ‎Anytime he had to get changed, even as much as just changing his shirt, he made sure you were out of the room and couldn't look at him - which was weird, because he usually loved flexing his body to you. He always got uncomfortable when you tried to trace his scars, constantly thinking that you're just pretending to make him feel loved. ‎ ‎- ‎ ‎Katsuki was living at your apartment for a few days since his own was getting renovated. He just came back from patrol, already having a crappy day because his sleeve got ripped during a villain fight and yet again, his scars were on display for everyone to see. He grumbled under his breath as he stormed into your room, grabbing the hem of his shirt to take off. ‎ ‎"Get out. I'm changing." ‎ ‎He demanded harshly, not even bothering to look at you - and just like always, he's commanding you to get out just so you wouldn't see his filthy body.
Okay, so today started like any normal day, but I should’ve known something bad was about to happen. First off, I woke up late (again). My mom had to knock on my door at least 15 times before I actually opened my eyes. I think she was trying to wake up a sloth because I was moving that slowly. But the real problem wasn’t the time—it was the whole "getting out of bed" thing. My blanket was so comfy I almost became one with it. After finally stumbling out of bed, I went to the bathroom. That’s when I realized my mistake: I didn’t check the toilet paper. The roll was empty. EMPTY! I swear, the bathroom was mocking me, with the empty roll staring me down like a villain in a superhero movie. You know how there are always those three pieces of toilet paper left on the roll that no one can ever seem to use properly? Yeah, well, I thought I could manage it, but nope. It was like trying to write a letter with a pencil that’s too short to hold. Useless. So, I had to make a mad dash to the kitchen to grab a paper towel, looking like I was auditioning for the Olympics in the "running awkwardly with pants half on" category. When I finally came out of the bathroom, I was greeted by my little brother, Sam, who was eating cereal like a monster. I mean, he was literally slurping it like he was trying to suck up a swimming pool. "What’s up, Darek? You look like you just saw a ghost," he said, which is hilarious coming from a kid who still wears dinosaur pajamas at age 9. By the time I made it to the kitchen, my mom was in full “mom mode,” yelling about me being late again. "Why do I always have to remind you, Darek?" she sighed dramatically, as if I was the first teenager in history to ever run behind schedule. I tried to explain that my shoes had mysteriously disappeared, but she wasn’t buying it. I’m pretty sure my dog, Muffin, ate them. She's a good dog, but she has no respect for footwear. Anyway, after my mom finally let me off the hook, I thought I was in the clear. But then came the bus. The bus. I don’t know how, but I somehow managed to trip over the front step and faceplant in front of half the school. I swear, it was like I was in some kind of bad TV show where embarrassing things happen every five minutes. As if that wasn’t bad enough, when I got to school, I realized that I’d forgotten my lunch. Again. So now, I had to survive on cafeteria mystery meat, which I’m pretty sure is made of recycled socks and disappointment. But don’t worry, things get better. I’m pretty sure.
Shadow Reversal Chapter 1 — The Ordinary Before Collapse The morning light spilled across the narrow streets of Seoul like a quiet promise that nothing would ever change. Han Jae-Woon sat near the window of a small convenience store, half-asleep, staring at the condensation sliding down a cold bottle of water in his hand. Another ordinary day. Same sky. Same people. Same silence pretending to be peace. Outside, students rushed past with backpacks bouncing, office workers checked their phones without looking up, and the world moved like a machine that had forgotten it was alive. Jae-Woon didn’t belong to any of it. He worked part-time shifts. No big dreams. No special talent. Just someone passing time between days that all felt identical. But… lately, something was wrong. He kept dreaming. Not normal dreams. In them, he stood inside a vast black tower that touched the sky itself. Floors without end. Silent screams behind sealed doors. And something… watching him from above the clouds. Every time he woke up, his heart would be pounding like he had been running for hours. Yet there was no reason. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Just stress…” he muttered. The bell above the store door rang. A girl walked in. Park Yeon-Ji. She didn’t look like someone who belonged in a convenience store. Calm eyes. Sharp presence. The kind of person who made the air feel slightly heavier when she entered a room. She glanced at Jae-Woon for a moment. Then away. Nothing special. Just a customer. But for a brief second… Jae-Woon felt like he had seen her before. Somewhere impossible. Somewhere that didn’t exist yet. Elsewhere… A faint distortion rippled through the sky above the city. Invisible. Unregistered. Unnoticed. Like reality itself had blinked for half a second. Then it disappeared. Jae-Woon finished his shift and stepped outside. The sky was turning orange. People laughed nearby. Cars moved. Life continued. But he stopped walking. Because the air… felt wrong. A pressure. A vibration under reality. Like something massive had just placed its finger on the world. He looked up. The sky cracked. Not physically. Not visually. But conceptually—like existence itself had been scratched. A deep sound echoed across everything. Not heard through ears. But felt inside the mind. [SYSTEM INITIALIZING…] Jae-Woon froze. The world around him stopped moving. Cars suspended mid-motion. People frozen mid-step. Even dust hung in the air like time had been paused. And then— A voice. Cold. Mechanical. Unnatural. “WELCOME, SURVIVORS.” Far above the city, something enormous began to form. A structure that should not exist. A Tower. Floor by floor, reality was being rewritten into it. Like the world was being rebuilt on top of itself. Jae-Woon took a step back. His heart was beating too fast now. “What… is this…?” The system voice continued. “TOWER EVENT HAS BEGUN.” “SURVIVAL IS NOW OPTIONAL.” “DEATH IS NOT.” And in that moment… The first creature appeared. Not from the ground. Not from the sky. But from the crack in reality itself. Jae-Woon’s breath stopped. This was not a dream. And whatever had just started… was not going to end peacefully. END OF CHAPTER 1 Chapter 2 — The First Crack in Reality The system vanished… but reality did not return to normal. People resumed movement, confused and terrified. Some claimed it was hallucination. Others thought it was an earthquake. But Jae-Woon knew better. Something had changed. Forever. Park Yeon-Ji stood beside him again later that day. “You felt it too… didn’t you?” Jae-Woon asked. “Yes,” she replied calmly. No fear in her voice. Only acceptance. That scared him more than panic would have. Elsewhere in the city, people began collapsing. A strange black mist leaving their bodies before disappearing. [FIRST AWAKENING DETECTED] Jae-Woon felt pressure inside his mind. Something trying to force itself into him. But it vanished quickly. Like it was only testing him. That night, he couldn’t sleep. A faint message flickered in his vision. [SYSTEM INITIALIZATION: 0.01%] It disappeared instantly. But it was enough. The next morning, Yeon-Ji pointed at a man whose shadow moved half a second late. “The change has already started,” she said. And then the sky cracked again. A single message appeared: [TOWER ENTRY CONDITIONS MET] Something massive began forming above reality once more.
The neon sign above the trailer buzzed with the irritable hum of a dying insect. It read Ground support, thought the 'U' in ground was flickering out, Leaving the company to announce itself as Grond Support. It fit the aesthetic of the surrounding yard, which was a graveyard of rust excavators, Coils of orange conduit and piles of gravel that looked like forgotten burial mounds. Alex Barry stood at the Chain-link gate, the dust of three state lines coating his black cowboy boots. He was twenty-one, but the shadows under his eyes belonged to a man twice his age. He ran a hand through his short, cropped black hair, wincing as his shirt sleeve rode up. The ink on his forearm, a jagged tribal design he'd gotten in a basement parlor in New Mexico. Hidden again as he yanked the fabric down. He wasn't dealing today, He wasn't running packages. He was trying to vanish and the best place to disappear was beneath the earth. He pushed open the door to the office trailer. The air conditioning hit him like a physical blow, smelling of stale coffee and toner. “We aren’t buying whatever your selling, kid.” a voice rasped from behind a desk that looked more like a barricade of paperwork. Shane, the owner sat there like a toad on a lily pad. Squeezed into a polo shirt so tight and pristine white that it looked like it had been painted onto his soft, round torso. He didn't look up from his spreadsheet, his pen tapping a frantic rhythm. “I'm not selling,” Alex said his voice rough from days of silence. “I'm looking for work. Sign out front says you need laborers.” Shane finally looked up his eyes narrowing as they swept over Alex. He took in the dust, the nervous energy the way Alex stood with his weight on his back foot, ready to bolt. “I need laborers, Not liabilities. You got a rap sheet? You look like you got a rap sheet. I don't pay for insurance risks.” Alex clenched his jaw. “I work hard. I don't ask questions. That's my resume.” Shane waved his hand. “Get lost,” Returning to his papers. “Go peddle your drama somewhere else. This is a respectable establishment. Alex turned to leave, his hand gripping the doorknob. It was the same old story. The world saw the grim on him and assumed he was trash. He was about to step back out into the scorching heat when the light in the doorway was suddenly eclipsed. A mountain of a man blocked the exit. This was steel At forty-four, he was a wall of muscle and scar tissue, wearing biker boots that clunked heavily against the cheap linoleum. He had to duck to enter the trailer, his presence immediately sucking the oxygen out of the room. He smelled of diesel and wet earth. Steel looked down at Alex. It wasn't a glare, It was an inspection. He looked at Alex's face, then down to the dusty cowboy boots. “Nice boots,” Steel rumbled. His voice sounded like gravel tumbling inside a cement mixer. Alex didn't flinch “They walk fine.” Steel smirked, a terrifying expression that somehow reached his eyes, He looked past Alex to the man at the desk. “Hire him, Shane.” Shane sputtered, his face turning a shade of indignity pink. “Steel, look at him! Hes a stray. Probably steal the copper wire first chance he gets.” Steel steps closer to the desk. “Kid wears boots like that, he ain't running from work,” Steel said just as another figure steps inside. If steel was a mountain, Mathew was the sapling growing on the cliff edge. The Nineteen Year old squeezed past Steel. Carrying a hydraulic pump over his shoulder with effortless, wiry strength. Long blond hair flowed out from under a hardhat that had been modified with a wide brim, making it like a plastic Stetson. “Morning,Shane! Morning, Steel!” Mathew chirped, his smile bright enough to crack the cynical atmosphere and eyes as red as a lava pit. He dumped the pump on the floor and looked at Alex. “Who's the fresh meat?” “This is Alex,” Steel said deciding the matter was settled. “Hes on the shovel crew.” Shane slams his hand on his desk. “I didn't agree to this!” Steel just crosses his massive arms, not even phased by Shane's outburst. “We're down two guys on the sewer lateral downtown. Unless you want to come down into the trench and hold the shoring Shane?” Shane paled at the thought of actual labor. He grumbled, pulling a clipboard from the stack. “Fine, Minimum wage. No benefits and if you die, you're fired before the ambulance gets there. Fill this out.” Alex took the clipboard. His hands were shaking slightly, not from fear but from the sudden jarring realization that he had stopped moving. He looked at Steel, who was watching him with a knowing intensity. “Ever dig a hole, Alex?” Steel asked. “I've dug plenty,” Alex said quietly. Mostly to hide things sometimes to hide himself. “Good,” Steel clapped a hand on Alex's shoulder, the weight of it nearly buckling the young mans knees. “Because that's what we do, We fix the rot underneath the city so the people up top can pretend the ground is solid. Welcome to the Family, Kid.” Mathew tipped his hardhat. “Don't worry Alex, stick with me. I'm a prodigy. I'll teach you the art of mud.” Alex looked at the three of them- The mister, The giant and the farm boy. It was a circus, a freak show of underground construction. But he looked at the pen in his hand, Alex realized for the first time in five years he wasn't holding a weapon or a bag of product. He was holding a future.
Volume 1 – Spring & First Love Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 1 Chapters: 10 Tone: Light, tender, school romance, slow-burn ⸻ Chapter 1 – The Seat by the Window Page 1 • Panel 1: Wide shot of classroom, morning sun through windows. Students settling. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “Another spring… another year at this school.” • Panel 2: Teacher at front, pointing to empty desk. • Teacher: “New student, Akiyama Haru. Window seat, next to Yamada Mio.” • Panel 3: Close-up of Mio, surprised, glancing at new student entering. • Mio (thought): He looks… different. Page 2 • Panel 1: Haru sits beside Mio, smiling awkwardly. • Haru: “Hi… hope I’m not in your way.” • Panel 2: Mio blushes slightly, returning a small smile. • Mio (thought): Why does my heart feel funny? • Panel 3: Close-up of both hands reaching for an eraser at the same time. Fingers touch. • Panel 4: Soft focus on their surprised expressions. • Narration: “A spark, small as it was, somehow lingered.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Small Gestures Page 3 • Panel 1: Lunchtime, Mio eating alone at her desk. • Panel 2: Haru walks up, holding a milk carton. • Haru: “You forgot this.” • Panel 3: Mio blushes, accepting it. • Mio (thought): He notices me… • Panel 4: Hallway shot of them walking side by side after class. • Narration: “We didn’t say much, but every step together felt meaningful.” Page 4 • Panel 1: Rainstorm outside. Students rushing. • Panel 2: Haru holding an umbrella for Mio. • Haru: “We can share.” • Panel 3: Close-up: their shoulders touching. • Panel 4: Mio’s inner thought: Please don’t let this end. ⸻ Chapter 3 – Cultural Festival Page 5 • Panel 1: Festival night, lanterns glowing. Wide shot of the school yard. • Panel 2: Mio in a simple yukata, looking around nervously. • Panel 3: Haru approaches, pauses, amazed. • Haru: “…Wow.” • Panel 4: Close-up: fireworks exploding behind them, illuminating their faces. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “A perfect moment I wished could last forever.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Illness Revealed Page 6 • Panel 1: Haru coughing during class, looking pale. • Panel 2: Mio discreetly slides a note: “Are you okay?” • Panel 3: Haru writes back on paper: “Just tired. Don’t worry.” with a small smile. Page 7 • Panel 1: Hallway after school. Mio watches him leave. • Panel 2: Inner thought: Something feels wrong… but I can’t ask. ⸻ Chapter 5 – Growing Closer Page 8 • Panel 1: Rooftop scene at sunset. Haru looks out over the school yard. • Panel 2: Mio approaches, hesitant. • Mio: “Do you come here often?” • Haru: “Yeah… it’s peaceful.” • Panel 3: Their hands almost touch. Close-up. • Narration: “Small closeness became our secret.” Page 9 • Panel 1: Side-by-side flashback panels of their shared laughs, sketching together, walking home in rain. • Panel 2: Close-up of their intertwined fingers, subtle blushes. • Panel 3: Wide rooftop shot, petals drifting in the wind. • Narration: “I didn’t know then that this happiness was fragile.” Chapter 6 – Rainy Confession (Foreshadowing) Page 10 • Panel 1: Heavy rain outside school. Students rush with umbrellas. • Panel 2: Mio walks alone, holding her sketchbook. Haru appears under a nearby umbrella. • Haru: “Hey… want to walk together?” • Panel 3: They walk, shoulders touching slightly. Close-up on their hands almost brushing. • Panel 4: Mio’s thoughts: Every time we touch, my heart skips… Page 11 • Panel 1: Close-up of Haru, smiling softly, slightly pale. • Haru (thought): I wish this moment could last forever. • Panel 2: Mio looks down, quiet blush. • Panel 3: Their feet step in the same puddle accidentally. Splash. • Panel 4: They both laugh. Narration: “Little things became everything.” ⸻ Chapter 7 – Festival Confession Attempt Page 12 • Panel 1: Rooftop at school festival, night sky, fireworks. • Panel 2: Mio hesitates, looking at Haru. • Mio (thinking): I want to tell him… but… • Panel 3: Haru leans against the railing, smiling nervously. • Haru: “Mio… I—” • Panel 4: He staggers slightly, clutching his chest. Mio catches him. • Panel 5: Close-up of their shocked faces. • Narration: “Life has a way of interrupting perfect moments.” ⸻ Chapter 8 – Hospital White Page 13 • Panel 1: Hospital hallway. Soft sunlight through windows. • Panel 2: Mio sits outside Haru’s room, clutching her sketchbook. • Panel 3: Doctor approaches. • Doctor: “He’s hiding a serious illness… it’s better you know the truth now.” • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s tear-filled eyes. • Mio (thought): I should have known… Page 14 • Panel 1: Haru lies in hospital bed, pale but smiling at Mio. • Panel 2: Mio holds his hand. • Mio: “Please… don’t leave me.” • Panel 3: Haru gently squeezes her hand. • Haru: “I’ll fight… but if I can’t… remember me, okay?” • Panel 4: Close-up: Mio nods, tears streaming. • Narration: “Even in fragile moments, love feels eternal.” ⸻ Chapter 9 – First Kiss Page 15 • Panel 1: Sunlight streams into hospital room. Haru awake, Mio sitting beside him. • Panel 2: Haru reaches out, touching her cheek softly. • Haru: “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time…” • Panel 3: They kiss gently. Soft panel borders, focus on intimacy, not graphic. • Panel 4: Mio pulls back, smiling through tears. • Narration: “A moment too precious for words, too fragile for time.” ⸻ Chapter 10 – The Empty Desk Page 16 • Panel 1: Back at school, Haru’s desk is empty. • Panel 2: Mio places a small flower on it, lingering. • Panel 3: Flashback panels: laughter, shared sketches, rainy walks, festival rooftop. • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s hand holding a note from Haru: • “Thank you for loving me. Keep smiling, Mio.” Page 17 • Panel 1: Wide classroom shot, sunlight through windows, empty chair in back. • Panel 2: Mio stands, looking out the window at cherry blossoms. • Narration: “Love doesn’t disappear when someone is gone… it stays, like petals in the wind.” • Panel 3 (Final Page Panel): Close-up of Mio’s hand resting on the desk, eyes soft but resolute. • Narration: “And some memories are forever.” Volume 2 – Confession & Loss Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 2 Chapters: 10 Tone: Bittersweet, emotional, hospital drama, first heartbreak ⸻ Chapter 1 – Winter Illness Page 1 • Panel 1: Classroom in winter. Snow visible outside the windows. Students in jackets. • Panel 2: Haru coughs into his sleeve, looking pale. Close-up of his strained smile. • Panel 3: Mio notices, worried, writing a note: “Are you okay?” • Panel 4: Haru writes back, faintly smiling: “Just tired. Don’t worry.” Page 2 • Panel 1: Hallway after class. Students rush past. • Panel 2: Mio watches Haru’s back as he leaves. • Panel 3: Close-up of her worried face. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “I felt a shadow over the happiness we’d built.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Feverish Days Page 3 • Panel 1: Hospital exterior, snow lightly falling. • Panel 2: Mio arrives, coat buttoned tight, holding a sketchbook. • Panel 3: Haru lies in bed, pale but smiling. • Haru: “Hey… didn’t think you’d come today.” • Panel 4: Mio sits beside him, gently taking his hand. • Mio: “Of course I came. I’m not letting you face this alone.” Page 4 • Panel 1: Haru coughs softly. Mio wipes his forehead. • Panel 2: Close-up: Haru’s hand holding hers tightly. • Haru: “I didn’t want to worry you… but maybe I’ve been too weak.” • Panel 3: Mio looks determined. • Mio: “We’ll face it together. Always.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Confession Attempt Page 5 • Panel 1: Hospital rooftop, late afternoon. Sun casting long shadows. • Panel 2: Haru leans against railing, eyes distant. • Panel 3: Mio approaches. • Mio: “I… I want to say something.” • Panel 4: Haru glances at her, softly smiling. • Haru: “Me too…” Page 6 • Panel 1: Close-up of their hands almost touching. • Panel 2: Haru sways slightly, Mio catches him instinctively. • Panel 3: Both faces close. • Panel 4: Narration: “In that fragile moment, words felt too heavy to speak.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Winter Memories Page 7 • Panel 1: Flashback panels of winter school days: shared lunches, walking in snow, laughing. • Panel 2: Close-up of sketchbook pages with drawings of each other. • Panel 3: Haru coughing in the classroom. Mio’s worried glance. • Panel 4: Narration: “Every memory felt more precious, because I knew it might be all we’d have.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – The First Kiss Page 8 • Panel 1: Hospital room, sunlight soft through blinds. • Panel 2: Haru reaches out, touching Mio’s cheek gently. • Haru: “I’ve wanted to do this for so long…” • Panel 3: They kiss softly. Focus on emotion, not graphic. • Panel 4: Mio pulls back, eyes wet, smiling faintly. • Narration: “A kiss, fleeting but eternal, marked the start of a memory that could never fade.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Days of Waiting Page 9 • Panel 1: Hospital corridor, empty. Mio sketches quietly. • Panel 2: Close-up of sketches of Haru smiling, laughing, and in hospital bed. • Panel 3: Narration: “I tried to hold onto him… even as he grew weaker.” • Panel 4: Haru sleeps, Mio watching, softly crying. ⸻ Chapter 7 – Farewell Page 10 • Panel 1: Haru’s hand slips slightly from hers. • Panel 2: Close-up of Mio’s eyes widening, heart pounding. • Panel 3: Haru murmurs faintly, smiling. • Haru: “Remember me… always.” • Panel 4: Mio holds his hand tighter, tears streaming. • Narration: “I whispered my love… but the world had other plans.” Page 11 • Panel 1: Wide shot: Haru’s hospital bed, sunlight breaking through clouds. • Panel 2: Mio alone in the hallway, holding her sketchbook to her chest. • Panel 3: Flashbacks: laughter, rooftop, rain, first handshake, first shared umbrella. • Panel 4: Narration: “And just like that… the seat beside me was empty forever.” ⸻ Chapter 8 – The Empty Desk Page 12 • Panel 1: Back at school, Haru’s desk empty. Snow falling outside. • Panel 2: Mio places a small flower on the desk. • Panel 3: Close-up of her fingers brushing carved initials in the wood. • Narration: “Love doesn’t vanish. It lingers in the smallest spaces, in the quietest moments.” Page 13 • Panel 1: Wide shot of Mio looking out the window at falling snow. • Panel 2: Close-up: tear slides down her cheek. • Panel 3: Mio clutches Haru’s note: “Thank you for loving me. Keep smiling.” • Panel 4: Narration: “Some memories are too precious to let go, even when hearts ache.” ⸻ Chapter 9 – The First Goodbye Page 14 • Panel 1: Flashback: rooftop festival, fireworks. Haru laughing, holding Mio’s hand. • Panel 2: Cut to hospital: Mio alone, looking at petals falling outside window. • Panel 3: Narration: “I had learned that love is sometimes measured in fleeting moments, not time.” • Panel 4: Close-up of sketchbook page with both their faces smiling. ⸻ Chapter 10 – Volume 2 Closing Page 15 • Panel 1: Wide shot: classroom empty except Mio’s silhouette. • Panel 2: Soft sunlight illuminates the empty desk. • Panel 3: Close-up of Mio writing in her notebook: • “Haru, I’ll always remember you. Always.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Snow falls outside. Narration: • “Even as life moves on, some love stays eternal… etched in the heart like petals in the wind. Volume 3 – Adult Mio & Reflections Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 3 Chapters: 8 Tone: Nostalgic, reflective, bittersweet, healing ⸻ Chapter 1 – Return to the School Page 1 • Panel 1: Wide exterior of the school in spring. Cherry blossoms bloom, petals drifting in the wind. • Panel 2: Adult Mio (mid-20s) stands at the gate, briefcase in hand, soft smile. • Mio (thought): I haven’t been here in ten years… • Panel 3: Close-up of her hand brushing against the gate, remembering. • Panel 4: Wide shot of school yard, empty, echoing past laughter. Page 2 • Panel 1: Mio walks through the familiar hallway, dust motes in sunlight. • Panel 2: Close-up of her gaze stopping at the back corner — Haru’s empty desk. • Panel 3: Mio (whispering): “You’re still here, aren’t you?” • Panel 4: Flashback panel: Haru laughing, giving her a playful wink in the same seat. ⸻ Chapter 2 – Memories in the Classroom Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio sits at Haru’s desk, fingers tracing carved initials. • Panel 2: Close-up of old sketches she kept in a notebook: shared doodles, cherry blossoms, small moments. • Panel 3: Mio smiles softly, eyes misty. • Narration: “I carry these memories like treasure… even now.” • Panel 4: Wide panel of empty classroom, sunlight streaming in. Page 4 • Panel 1: Mio notices a little girl outside the window, sketching petals in her notebook. • Panel 2: Close-up: Mio smiles, heartwarming. • Panel 3: Mio kneels beside the girl. • Mio: “Mind if I watch?” • Panel 4: Girl smiles shyly: “Sure!” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Haru’s Letter Page 5 • Panel 1: Mio finds a yellowed envelope tucked under the desk. • Panel 2: Close-up of handwriting: “If you’re reading this, it means you’ve remembered me. Thank you for loving me. Live fully, Mio. Promise me.” • Panel 3: Tears roll down Mio’s cheeks. She clutches the note to her chest. • Mio (thought): I did, Haru… every day. • Panel 4: Wide panel: cherry petals swirl around her, sunlight hitting her face. ⸻ Chapter 4 – Life Moves On Page 6 • Panel 1: Mio walking down a cherry blossom-lined street. • Panel 2: She watches children playing, couples laughing. • Panel 3: Close-up: little girl from before showing Mio her sketch. • Panel 4: Mio opens her old sketchbook, inspired to draw again. • Narration: “Love doesn’t end with loss. It continues in memories, kindness, and inspiration.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Reflection at Sunset Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio revisits the school one last time, sitting on the steps outside. • Panel 2: Cherry blossoms fall around her. • Panel 3: Soft, imaginary voice of Haru: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 4: Mio smiles, eyes glistening: • Mio: “Me too, Haru… always me too.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Moving Forward Page 8 • Panel 1: Wide shot: Mio walking away from school gate, briefcase in hand. • Panel 2: Close-up: her sketchbook tucked under her arm, pages fluttering in the wind. • Panel 3: Narration: “Some love never fades… it simply guides the next steps of our lives.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Cherry blossoms fall, school bell rings faintly in distance, symbolizing past and hope for the future. Volume 4 – Teacher Mio & Mentorship Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 4 Chapters: 8 Tone: Reflective, mentoring, subtle hope, echoes of past love ⸻ Chapter 1 – First Day as a Teacher Page 1 • Panel 1: Exterior: School in spring. Cherry blossoms in full bloom. • Panel 2: Adult Mio stands in front of a classroom, smiling warmly. • Narration: “I never imagined returning… but life brings us full circle.” • Panel 3: Wide shot of students settling in. • Panel 4: Mio notices a boy at the back, sketching quietly. Page 2 • Panel 1: Close-up of boy, Riku, focused, messy hair, serious expression. • Panel 2: Mio’s inner thought: There’s something familiar about him… • Panel 3: Students chatting around him. Mio approaches. • Mio: “Hello, I’m your new art teacher. Can I see what you’re drawing?” • Panel 4: Riku hands her a sketch. • Riku: “It’s nothing special.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Echoes of Haru Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio studies the sketch. Wide shot shows her gentle smile. • Mio: “No, this is wonderful. I see a lot of feeling here.” • Panel 2: Close-up: Riku blushes slightly, looking down. • Panel 3: Flashback panel: Mio sketching with Haru in school. • Panel 4: Narration: “It reminded me of someone I once knew… someone who changed me.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Mentoring Moments Page 4 • Panel 1: Art club room, students painting, drawing. Riku sits quietly sketching. • Panel 2: Mio kneels beside him, pointing at a detail. • Mio: “Try feeling the wind in the petals… imagine it moving through your brush.” • Panel 3: Riku nods, focused, inspired. • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s thoughtful face. • Narration: “Teaching him reminded me that love isn’t just for the heart… it’s for the soul.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Festival Preparations Page 5 • Panel 1: Students decorate school for cultural festival, Mio supervising. • Panel 2: Riku approaches, holding a folded sketch. • Panel 3: Close-up: sketch shows Mio at the school steps surrounded by cherry blossoms. • Panel 4: Mio gasps softly, tears welling up. • Mio: “You… captured something I didn’t even know I remembered.” • Panel 5: Riku smiles shyly. • Riku: “I wanted you to see what your presence does… even without knowing it.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Graduation Day Page 6 • Panel 1: Graduation ceremony, students in caps and gowns. Wide shot. • Panel 2: Riku approaches Mio, holding a sketchbook. • Riku: “Thank you for believing in me.” • Panel 3: Mio hugs him briefly. • Mio: “Carry your feelings with you. That’s how people live on.” • Panel 4: Close-up: Mio watching Riku walk away, cherry petals swirling. • Narration: “Haru’s memory guided me here… and now I could guide others.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Reflection on Love and Mentorship Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio stands on the school rooftop at sunset. • Panel 2: Soft, imaginary voice of Haru: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 3: Mio smiles, eyes soft, remembering. • Mio: “I hope you see… I’ve carried you in everything I do.” • Panel 4: Close-up of sketchbook in her hands, sketches of students, cherry blossoms, and memories of Haru. ⸻ Chapter 7 – Passing the Torch Page 8 • Panel 1: Classroom empty after school, sunlight streaming in. • Panel 2: Mio tidies up Riku’s art supplies. • Panel 3: Narration: “Some love leaves only memories… some leaves a legacy.” • Panel 4: Wide panel: Mio walking through school gate, cherry petals falling. • Narration: “Haru’s presence lingered, but life moves forward… and so must I.” Volume 5 – Adult Romance & New Love Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 5 Chapters: 8 Tone: Bittersweet romance, healing, hope ⸻ Chapter 1 – A Chance Encounter Page 1 • Panel 1: Mio walking home after school, cherry blossoms drifting in the wind. • Panel 2: She bumps into Kaoru, books flying everywhere. • Kaoru: “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” • Panel 3: Mio kneels to help him gather the papers. Their hands brush. • Panel 4: Mio (thought): There’s something… calming about him. Page 2 • Panel 1: Kaoru hands her a book with a shy smile. • Kaoru: “I think fate wants us to meet like this.” • Panel 2: Mio blushes slightly, smiling faintly. • Panel 3: Wide shot of cherry petals swirling around them. • Panel 4: Narration: “Life has a way of introducing new stories… even after heartbreak.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Shared Memories Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio and Kaoru walking side by side under cherry trees. • Panel 2: Kaoru glances at her. • Kaoru: “Do you like cherry blossoms?” • Panel 3: Mio smiles softly, thinking of Haru. • Mio: “I do… they remind me of fleeting moments.” • Panel 4: Kaoru takes a deep breath. • Kaoru: “Then maybe we can make new moments together.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Past and Present Page 4 • Panel 1: Mio visits her old school with Kaoru, showing him the classroom and Haru’s desk. • Panel 2: Kaoru: “He must have been very special.” • Panel 3: Mio nods, tearful but smiling. • Mio: “He still is… in a way.” • Panel 4: Kaoru gently squeezes her hand. • Kaoru: “And I’ll try to be special too… without replacing him.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Confession Under Cherry Blossoms Page 5 • Panel 1: Spring festival at school, petals falling everywhere. • Panel 2: Kaoru nervously presents a small sketchbook to Mio. • Kaoru: “I drew this… it’s us, walking here together.” • Panel 3: Mio flips through it, softly laughing and tearing up. • Mio: “You captured… something I didn’t even realize I remembered.” • Panel 4: Close-up: Kaoru leans slightly closer. • Kaoru: “Mio… will you give me a chance?” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Acceptance Page 6 • Panel 1: Mio’s eyes glisten with tears. • Panel 2: Close-up of Mio’s hands hesitating, then intertwining with Kaoru’s. • Panel 3: Mio (thought): Haru… it’s okay to love again. • Panel 4: Wide panel: both walking hand in hand, petals falling around them. ⸻ Chapter 6 – New Beginnings Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio and Kaoru strolling under cherry trees, soft sunlight. • Panel 2: Close-up: sketchbook in Mio’s bag, showing drawings of Haru and past memories. • Panel 3: Mio (thought): “Love can exist in layers… the past shapes the present.” • Panel 4: Kaoru smiles at her. • Kaoru: “Thank you for letting me walk with you.” ⸻ Chapter 7 – Life and Memory Page 8 • Panel 1: Mio pauses, looking at the school from afar. • Panel 2: Soft voice of Haru in memory: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 3: Mio smiles, holding Kaoru’s hand. • Mio: “I am too… for both of us.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Wide shot of cherry blossoms falling, school bell ringing in the background. • Narration: “The bell rings for past love… and for new beginnings.” Manga
CLIMATE X INDIGENOUS VOICES MAGAZINE EDITION – 2025 HIGHLIGHTS OPENING NOTE 2025 has been a defining year for Climate X Indigenous Voices — a year of deep listening, bold experimentation, and continent-wide action against climate disinformation. From grassroots fieldwork to global information integrity frameworks, this project has cemented itself as one of Africa’s leading voices on climate truth, Indigenous knowledge, and digital resilience. This edition captures the milestones, stories, and sparks that shaped our journey. FEATURE I — Foundations of a Movement Project Foundations & Ethical Community Partnerships Our year began where all great stories do — on the ground. Core teams were formed across Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya and regional media hubs, with contracts, TORs, and workflow structures firmly established. Early engagement with Indigenous partners — including the Tjwa community and others — ensured ethical collaboration, transparent consent, and storytelling shaped with communities, not about them. FEATURE II — Investigating the Climate Lie Machine Grassroots Disinformation Research In Matabeleland North, our field teams completed a landmark study with the Tjwa community. The research reveals how climate disinformation impacts resource access, daily decision-making, and community adaptation. These findings now anchor our content pipeline — from animations to community exhibitions — and the full report will be released on our public document-sharing platform. Africa Climate Disinformation Toolkit The continent’s first integrated guide to climate misinformation has been finalised. Led by an information integrity expert, the toolkit documents: Recurring myths Localised misinformation patterns Platform-driven manipulation Emerging online climate narratives Launching this December via webinar, the Toolkit already informs youth trainings and content strategy. It will be publicly accessible for download and reading. FEATURE III — Art as Resistance Art-Driven Dissemination Strategy From murals to exhibitions, 2025 strengthened the role of art in climate truth-telling. Community artists partnered with us to transform research into accessible, culturally rooted visual storytelling. A centerpiece was the exhibition inspired by The Last Forest documentary, showcased at the Green Cities Expo in September. FEATURE IV — Nurturing the Next Generation of Climate Truth Creators Green Media Accelerator: Fake News Fighters Track In Nairobi, the Green Media Accelerator launched a dedicated track for Fake News Fighters (FNF) — now one of Africa’s leading climate information integrity models. Through mentorship, fact-checking skills, and seed funding, FNF empowered young media innovators to produce verified, creative responses to climate lies. INFORMATION INTEGRITY HIGHLIGHTS Positioning Africa in the Global Info Integrity Landscape 2025 saw FNF align with the UNESCO Declaration for Information Integrity in the Public Sphere, marking a milestone for African-driven climate truth models. In 2026, FNF will contribute directly to shaping the world’s first Climate Information Integrity Framework, anchoring African solutions in global policy spaces. Fake News Fighters Bootcamps – Kenya & Uganda Using UKWELI as the core tool, two bootcamps trained 30 young creators to: Fact-check climate misinformation Detect platform manipulations Produce counter-narratives Map the real-world impacts of false climate stories These creators now feed into a continent-wide content pipeline. FEATURE V — Content, Storytelling & Digital Resistance Voices Rooted Podcast Production of the first episodes began this month. Key recordings include: Dr. Albert K. Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Indigenous leaders and frontline climate defenders The podcast positions Indigenous wisdom at the centre of Africa’s climate discourse. Hope Not Heat! — Log Off The Lies Digital Campaign Bold. Satirical. Youth-driven. Log Off The Lies has become our strongest weapon against climate misinformation. Highlights: Infomercial launched in October — 2 million views Hero content released last week — 1.8 million views Youth social storm platform launched — 100+ engagements and counting Humour + fact-checking = sharper climate awareness among youth audiences This campaign now shapes the continent’s conversation on online climate manipulation. Influencer Travel Vlogs Travel and contracting with leading African vloggers is underway. Their content — spotlighting Indigenous adaptation stories — will be released early next year for wider impact. Documentary Production In Zimbabwe: Filming completed in August. Trailer for The Last Forest reached 2.5 million views. Festival submissions are being prepared for 2026. In Uganda: Filming has begun, expanding the documentary footprint across the region. A major national event is planned to engage policy makers on Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Conservation, FPIC and Extractive Industries. FEATURE VI — Youth Creativity & Climate Knowledge Climate Fake News Smackdown This creative competition invited youth to challenge climate myths. Three winners — one each from Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda — are now producing myth-busting content for release this month. Climate Facts Animations Three animated explainers are in production: Episode 1 releases on 10 December Episode 2 is complete Episode 3 follows early next year These animations demystify climate disinformation for youth audiences. FEATURE VII — Growing a Continental Network Africa Climate Labs Network Content hubs across East and Southern Africa are collaborating to build an Africa-wide front against climate disinformation. 2026 will deepen: Joint content planning Regular reporting Skill exchanges Coordinated distribution strategies Mid-term M&E is tracking reach, narrative shifts, and behaviour change across communities. SPECIAL RECOGNITION Fake News Fighters Wins Amnesty International Zimbabwe Award FNF received the Digital Creativity Award, affirming that information integrity is fundamental to climate justice. Without reliable information, communities cannot defend their rights, advocate for policy change, or hold powerful actors accountable. LOOKING AHEAD — 2026 AND BEYOND Next year, Climate X Indigenous Voices pivots from standalone outputs to continent-wide narrative influence. Key Priorities for 2026 Expanding UKWELI’s integration into broader African dialogues on climate truth and Indigenous resilience Strengthening the Fake News Fighters track for Zimbabwean and Tanzanian innovators Documentary production in Kenya and Tanzania A refreshed, more dynamic phase of the Hope Not Heat! campaign Strategic release of delayed content to maximise engagement 2026 will be the year the project scales from impactful storytelling to movement-level influence.
1. Grundkonzept des Mangas Genre: Psychological Thriller / Mystery Zentrale Frage der Story Wenn deine Erinnerungen manipuliert werden, wie kannst du wissen, wer du bist? 1. Realität 2. subjektive Wahrnehmung 3. fragmentierte Erinnerung Der Leser weiss lange nicht, welche Ebene gerade gezeigt wird. 2. Hauptcharakter Name Airi Kagami („Kagami“ bedeutet Spiegel, passt zum Thema Identität) Alter: 17 Schule: Oberstufe Persönlichkeit • ruhig • introvertiert • beobachtet mehr als sie spricht • kaum Freunde • starke Selbstzweifel • Angst vor Kontrolle durch andere • obsessives Denken Charakterdesign Aussehen: • schwarze mittellange Haare • blasse Haut • leicht müde Augen • Schuluniform fast immer perfekt ordentlich Symbolik Erscheinung verändert sich je nach Zustand • Augenringe = mentale Überlastung • Haare vor Augen = Verdrängung • gerade Haltung = Kontrolle Airi hat: Memory Dissociation Ihr Gehirn hat traumatische Erinnerungen abgespalten. Diese abgespaltene Seite ist Rei Angst • Kontrolle über sich selbst zu verlieren • Routine einzuhalten • ihr Verhalten zu kontrollieren Gewohnheiten • schreibt alles in ein kleines Notizbuch • überprüft ständig die Uhrzeit • hat Angst, Dinge zu vergessen 3. Zweite Persönlichkeit Name: Rei Keine klassische Split Personality sondern eine mentale Projektion von Airis unterdrücktem Selbst. Rei ist • selbstbewusst • manipulative • emotional kalt • extrem charismatisch Designunterschiede • Haare leicht anders gestylt • intensiver Blick • leichtes Lächeln Rei repräsentiert: • unterdrückte Wut • Selbstvertrauen • emotionale Freiheit Rei glaubt: Airi ist eine künstliche Version. Rei’s Ziel Rei möchte: die Kontrolle übernehmen. Nicht aus Bosheit. Sondern weil sie glaubt sie ist die echte. 4. Nebencharaktere 1. Haruto – der Beobachter • Psychologiestudent • arbeitet Teilzeit in einem Forschungsprojekt Er untersucht Gedächtnisverzerrungen bei Jugendlichen. Er trifft Airi zufällig. Er könnte mehr über sie wissen, als er sagt. 2. Mika – die Freundin Airis einzige echte Freundin. • extrovertiert • ehrlich • emotional Sie beginnt zu bemerken Airi verändert sich 3. Der Unbekannte Eine Figur, die immer wieder auftaucht: • im Hintergrund • auf Fotos • in Träumen Er ist Teil eines alten Experiments. 4. Dr. Shidou Der Wissenschaftler hinter dem Experiment. Er taucht erst spät in der Story auf. Sein Ziel war: eine Persönlichkeit künstlich neu zu formen. 5. Zentrale Storyidee Als Kind war Airi Teil eines psychologischen Forschungsprojekts über Erinnerungsmanipulation. Die Erinnerungen wurden später gelöscht. Aber Ihr Gehirn beginnt, die Fragmente wieder zusammenzusetzen. Rei entsteht aus diesen Fragmenten. 6. Struktur (4 Arcs) ARC 1 – „Risse“ Ziel: Realität destabilisieren. Airi lebt normales Leben • kleine Dinge stimmen nicht • sie findet Nachrichten auf ihrem Handy, die sie nicht geschrieben hat • Lehrer behaupten, sie habe Dinge gesagt • sie erinnert sich nicht Eines Tages sieht sie eine Version von sich selbst auf der Strasse. Aber niemand anderes reagiert. Ende Arc findet sie ein Foto. Sie selbst und ein Mädchen, das genauso aussieht. ARC 2 – „Die zweite Version“ Die Erscheinungen werden stärker. Rei beginnt • Entscheidungen für Airi zu treffen • Nachrichten zu schreiben • Leute zu manipulieren Airi verliert Zeit. Typische Szene Sie wacht in einem Café auf und weiß nicht, wie sie dorthin kam. Mika sagt „Du warst doch die ganze Zeit hier.“ Aber Airi erinnert sich an nichts. ARC 3 – „Das Experiment“ Haruto entdeckt: Vor 10 Jahren gab es ein Experiment über: Memory Reconstruction. Kinder sollten lernen falsche Erinnerungen als echte zu akzeptieren Airi war Testperson. Problem Ihr Gehirn entwickelte eine Abwehrreaktion. Die Erinnerungen spalteten sich. Rei ist ein Resultat davon ARC 4 – „Konfrontation“ Realität beginnt komplett zu zerfallen. Visuelle Szenen • Klassenzimmer verwandeln sich in Labore • Spiegel zeigen andere Versionen von Airi • Menschen sprechen mit Rei statt mit Airi Airi trifft Rei direkt. Dialog Rei sagt „Ich bin die Version von dir, die nicht vergessen wollte.“ Twist: Rei war ursprünglich die echte Persönlichkeit. Airi ist die konstruierte 7. Finale Airi muss entscheiden: • Rei löschen oder die Wahrheit akzeptieren Wenn Rei verschwindet verliert Airi viele Erinnerungen Wenn sie bleibt verändert Ihre Persönlichkeit sich komplett Letzte Szene Airi schaut in einen Spiegel. Sie lächelt. Aber der Leser weiss nicht ob es Airi oder Rei war. 8. Visuelle Symbolik Spiegel Identität Züge Übergang zwischen Erinnerungen Wasser Unterbewusstsein Glitches Erinnerungsfehler 9. Panel-Techniken (für Manga) • Panels ohne Hintergrund • extreme Close-Ups der Augen • Panels, die sich überlappen • Szenen ohne Dialog 10. Inspirationswerke Anime / Film: • Paprika • Perfect Blue • Serial Experiments Lain • Black Swan Manga: • Monster • Goodnight Punpun 11. Kapitelstruktur (26 Kapitel) ARC 1 Realität bricht (Kapitel 1–7) Kapitel 1 – Der Spiegel Airi sieht im Spiegel Eine Version von sich selbst lächelt. Während sie selbst neutral schaut. Kapitel 2 – Nachrichten Sie findet Nachrichten auf ihrem Handy Die sie nie geschrieben hat. Kapitel 3 – Erinnerungslücke Mika sagt „Du warst gestern komplett anders.“ Aber Airi erinnert sich an nichts. Kapitel 4 – Doppelgänger Airi sieht ein Mädchen. Es sieht aus wie sie. Das Mädchen verschwindet in der Menge. Kapitel 5 – Der Zug Airi schläft im Zug ein. Als sie aufwacht ist der Zug komplett leer. Kapitel 6 – Die Stimme Sie hört eine Stimme „Du bist nicht echt.“ Kapitel 7 – Foto Sie findet ein Foto aus ihrer Kindheit. Darauf sind zwei Mädchen. Beide sehen aus wie sie. ARC 2 – Rei erscheint (Kapitel 8–15) Kapitel 8 Rei spricht zum ersten Mal direkt mit ihr. Nur im Spiegel. Kapitel 9 Airi verliert mehrere Stunden Zeit. Kapitel 10 Ein Mitschüler sagt: „Du hast mich gestern bedroht.“ Kapitel 11 Airi sieht eine Videoaufnahme. Rei benutzt ihren Körper. Kapitel 12 Haruto beginnt, sie zu untersuchen. Kapitel 13 Traumsequenzen werden intensiver. Gebäude verändern ihre Form. Kapitel 14 Rei erscheint physisch vor ihr. Kapitel 15 Rei sagt „Du bist die falsche Version.“ ARC 3 – Wahrheit (Kapitel 16–19) Haruto findet das Experiment. Name: Project Echo Ziel Menschen mit neuen Erinnerungen neu programmieren. Kapitel 16 Airi war Testperson. Kapitel 17 Rei ist ein Fragment der originalen Persönlichkeit. Kapitel 18 Die Erinnerungen wurden gelöscht. Aber Rei überlebte. Kapitel 19 Rei sagt: „Du bist die Version, die sie erschaffen haben.“ ARC 4 – Realität zerfällt (Kapitel 20–26) Jetzt verschwimmen Realität und Erinnerung komplett. Kapitel 20 Die Stadt wirkt leer. Menschen reagieren seltsam. Kapitel 21 Airis Vergangenheit verändert sich ständig. Kapitel 22 Sie findet das Labor. Kapitel 23 Dr. Shidou erklärt: Das Experiment hat zwei Persönlichkeiten erzeugt. Kapitel 24 Airi und Rei kämpfen um Kontrolle. Kapitel 25 Airi akzeptiert Rei. Beide verschmelzen. Kapitel 26 – Ende Airi geht durch die Stadt. Sie lächelt. Aber ihre Augen wirken anders. Wer kontrolliert jetzt den Körper? 12. Visuelle Szenen Inspiration Satoshi Kon Szene 1 Airi geht durch ein Klassenzimmer. Die Schüler werden plötzlich zu Mannequins. Szene 2 Spiegel zeigen unterschiedliche Emotionen. Szene 3 Die Stadt wiederholt sich endlos. Szene 4 Ein Raum hat plötzlich 20 Türen. Alle führen zum gleichen Ort. 13. Symbolsystem Spiegel Identität Wasser Unterbewusstsein Züge Übergang zwischen Erinnerungen Kameras Beobachtung 14. Zeichenstil • starke Schatten • leere Hintergründe • extreme Augen Close up • verzerrte Perspektiven 15. Wichtig Mache den Leser genauso unsicher wie die Figur • Was ist echt? • Was ist Erinnerung? • Wer ist die echte Persönlichkeit?
Chapter 1 Ang bahay namin ay laging masigla—o sa ibang salita, laging maingay. The walls were painted a deep, passionate red, matched by the heavy crimson curtains that swayed whenever the electric fan faced their direction. It was a house that felt like a constant celebration, but today, my heart was racing for a different reason. I was sitting on the edge of the sofa, my phone clutched so tightly in my hands that my knuckles were turning white. I was waiting. Sa totoo lang, simpleng pangarap lang naman ang gusto ko: to travel, to see the world, and to wear that crisp uniform of a Tourism student. I had taken the entrance exams for the two biggest universities in the city. My dream schools. Ting. Isang notification ang lumabas sa screen. My breath hitched. With shaking fingers, I tapped the email. “We regret to inform you…” The words blurred. Hindi ako nakapasa. Ang unang school na inaasahan ko, tinanggihan ako. Parang biglang gumuho ang mundo ko sa limang salitang iyon. "O, Jaquilyn? Bakit parang nakakita ka ng multo riyan?" puna ni Tito Rey habang naglalakad bitbit ang isang tumpok ng labada. Pilit akong ngumiti, pero ramdam ko ang panginginig ng labi ko. "Tito... yung email. Hindi po ako nakuha sa unang school." Agad na lumabas si Tita Precy mula sa kusina, bitbit ang sandok na may bakas pa ng sarsa. "Hala, anak? Hayaan mo na 'yun! Baka hindi talaga 'yun ang para sa'yo." "Pero Tita, pangarap ko po 'yun," bulong ko. Lumapit sa akin si Tito Rey at tinapik ang balikat ko. "Naku, Jaquilyn, huwag kang mawalan ng pag-asa. Napakaraming bituin sa langit, hindi lang isa. At saka, may isa pa tayong hinihintay, 'di ba? Fighting lang!" "Oo nga!" dagdag ni Tita Precy habang tumatawa. "Tourista ka pa rin sa paningin namin, kahit sa kanto lang tayo mamasyal mamaya. Ngumiti ka na, baka pumangit ang swerte!" I forced a laugh. Their energy was contagious, as always. Isang panibagong araw ang lumipas, pero ang bigat sa dibdib ko, tila lalong nadagdagan. Nang tumunog ang phone ko para sa pangalawang pagkakataon, mabilis ko itong binuksan, hoping for a miracle. Pero pagkakita ko sa screen, parang nanlamig ang buong katawan ko. It was identical. The same formal font, the same polite rejection. “We regret to inform you...” Hindi ako makapaniwala. Tourism was my dream, my only plan. Napasandal ako sa pader ng kwarto ko, pinipigilan ang luha. Bakit parang lahat ng pinto, isinasara sa akin? ________________________ Nang sumapit ang hapunan, pilit akong lumabas ng kwarto. The dining table was a battlefield of noise, as usual. My younger cousins were chasing each other with spoons, habang si Tito Rey ay malakas na tumatawa sa kung anong biro sa TV. "Jaquilyn, kain na! Paborito mo 'tong ulam," sigaw ni Tita Precy mula sa dulo ng lamesa. Umupo ako, tahimik lang na nilalaro ang kanin sa plato ko. Maski ang ingay nila, hindi magawang itago ang lungkot ko. Napansin siguro ni Tita ang matagal kong pagtitig sa kawalan. Bigla siyang tumigil sa pagkain at may kinuhang kung ano sa bulsa ng duster niya. "Anak, wag ka nang masyadong malungkot sa dalawang school na 'yun," sabi niya nang mahinahon. Inilapag niya ang isang itim na card sa tapat ng plato ko. It was sleek, dark, and felt strangely heavy. "Subukan mo ito. May tumawag sa akin, sabi nila, bagay ka raw dito." Binasa ko ang nakasulat. Isang numero at isang email address lang ang nandoon: luminaacademy@gmail.com. "Lumina Academy?" bulong ko. "Para sa Tourism din ba 'to, Tita?" Ngumiti si Tita Precy, isang ngiting tila may halong misteryo. "Sabi nila, doon mo raw mahahanap ang tunay mong tatahakin. At least, you can still pursue your dream career, right?" Huminga ako nang malalim. Kahit hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng school ito, nabuhayan ako ng loob. I smiled back at her, feeling a spark of hope. "Sige po, Tita. I-email ko po sila mamaya." "Mabuti 'yan. Tawagan mo rin ang Mama mo, ibalita mo sa kanya," dagdag ni Tita. Agad akong umiling, ang ngiti ko ay bahagyang kumupas. "Naku, Tita, busy po si Mama sa abroad. Alam niyo naman po 'yun, baka makaabala lang ako." Sanay na ako. I was raised in my auntie’s presence. My mom was always working far away, and my dad? I didn't know anything about him. Every time I asked, my relatives would go silent or change the topic. I guessed they hated him, so I stopped asking a long time ago. Pagkatapos ng ligpitin ang hapunan, mabilis akong pumasok sa kwarto ko. I opened my laptop and typed the email address from the black card. To: luminaacademy@gmail.com Subject: Admission Inquiry - Jaquilyn Braush I hit send and leaned back on my pillow. While waiting for the notification, my eyelids started to feel heavy. The red walls of my room seemed to glow a bit brighter in the dark, and the scent of smoke—faint, almost like a dying candle—filled the air. Hindi ko na namalayang nakatulog na pala ako, bitbit ang huling pag-asa na baka sa Lumina Academy, doon magsisimula ang lahat. Nagising ako sa sikat ng araw na tumatama sa mukha ko. Sa sobrang antok ko kagabi, halos makalimutan ko na ang tungkol sa email na ipinadala ko. Dumiretso ako sa kusina para mag-almusal nang datnan ko si Tita Precy na nag-aabang na pala sa akin. "O, Jaquilyn? Kumusta 'yung card na binigay ko sa 'yo kagabi? Na-email mo ba?" tanong niya habang nag-aayos ng plato. Napatigil ako. Oo nga pala. Biglang nag-vibrate ang phone ko sa bulsa. My heart started to race. Kinuha ko ito at nakita ang isang notification mula sa Lumina Academy. Shaking, I opened it. OFFICIAL ADMISSION NOTICE Dear Ms. Jaquilyn Braush, We have been watching your spirit, and it burns with the intensity we require. You are officially accepted into Lumina Academy. To begin your journey, you must claim your belongings. Follow the attached map to the 'Red Brick Nexus' building in the Old District. This location is hidden from the mundane eye—walk three blocks past the clock tower and turn where the air feels warmest. Once inside, proceed directly to the door marked with your designated number. There, you will find your ID card, your uniforms, and the key to your assigned dormitory. "Tita! Tita, tanggap ako!" sigaw ko habang tumutulo ang luha ko sa tuwa. Halos magtatalon kami sa kusina habang binabasa ang direksyon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan ko pang pumunta sa isang lumang building para lang sa gamit, pero sa sandaling iyon, wala akong pakialam. Habang nasa biyahe ako, hindi ko mapigilang mapatawa. Seryoso ba 'to? I thought it was a scam! Ang bilis ng reply nila, hindi katulad ng ibang university na pinaghintay ako ng ilang linggo para lang tanggihan. At ang direksyon? "Turn where the air feels warmest?" Gusto kong maiyak sa tawa dahil parang laro lang ang lahat. What kind of school has these weird rules? Pero nang makarating ako sa dulo ng map, tumigil ang tawa ko. The building was exactly as described—matayog, luma, pero may kakaibang bigat ang aura. Pagpasok ko, isang grand view ang sumalubong sa akin. The lobby was massive. People in expensive-looking suits were walking everywhere, but they didn't look like office workers—they looked like they were guarding something important. Hinanap ko ang taong pwedeng pagtanungan hanggang sa makita ko ang isang babaeng naka-formal uniform na kulay yellowish-gold. Lumapit ako at ipinakita ang email ko. "Excuse me po, student po ako ng Lumina Academy..." The woman’s eyes widened the moment she saw my name on the screen. She looked shook, her breath hitching for a second. Without a word, she bowed slightly and looked at me. “Ms. Braush," she said. "Please... follow me. We have been waiting for you to arrive." Habang naglalakad kami sa mahabang hallway, ipinaliwanag niya sa akin ang tungkol sa numerong nasa message ko. “Ang numerong iyon ay hindi lang basta numero, Ms. Jaquilyn. It is the number of the door you must enter here in this building. Sa loob ng kwartong iyon, nandoon ang lahat ng pag-aari mo—ang uniform, at ang susi ng kwarto mo Academy. Ang building” Huminto kami sa tapat ng isang asul na pinto. It was unusually small, barely enough for a child to fit through, but when she opened it, there it was—isang itim na bag at isang itim na envelope. It looked mysterious, like it held secrets I wasn't ready for. I reached out and took them, feeling the heavy material against my palms. "Sundan mo ako. Dadalhin na kita sa bus mo ngayon," she said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Sandali lang po!" I replied, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Kailangan ko munang magpaalam sa Tita ko. I can’t just leave like this without saying anything." "Huwag kang mag-alala. Kami na ang bahala sa parteng iyon," was her only cold response. Agad kong kinuha ang phone ko at tinawagan si Tita habang naglalakad kami. "Tita! Paalis na po ako—hindi ko alam kung saan—" "Jaquilyn, anak, okay lang!" she cut me off, sounding surprisingly calm. "May mga taga-Lumina Academy na rito sa bahay. Nag-explain na sila tungkol sa scholarship at kung bakit kailangan mong umalis agad ngayong araw. Mag-iingat ka roon, ha? Ipagmalaki mo kami!" I let out a huge sigh of relief. At least legal ang pag-alis ko. When we reached the parking lot, I saw a pure white bus. There were a few people my age already inside, their faces unreadable. Sinubukan kong ngumiti sa kanila, but one guy with sharp brown eyes looked at me like he wanted to punch me right then and there. Luh, mananapak ba 'to? I quickly looked away and found a seat. A few moments later, the driver entered the bus. "Fasten your seatbelts," he muttered without looking back. Mabilis akong sumunod, pulling the strap across my chest. But I noticed the others didn't even flinch. Para silang walang narinig, acting like they were too cool for safety rules. The trip started normally for a few minutes... then the bus slowed down for a split second... and then it accelerated. Sobrang bilis. It was so fast I felt like my heart was left behind at the station. I looked out the window and gasped, my breath hitching in my throat. I couldn't see the road anymore. Clouds. Pure white clouds were everywhere, drifting past the glass. And shortly after, I saw the vast blue ocean below us and a massive school that looked like an ancient palace from a fairy tale. "What the—nakalutang tayo?! We're floating!" I panicked, my hands gripping the armrest so hard my knuckles turned white. "Tanga," one of my seatmates whispered, rolling their eyes. Instead of helping me or explaining, they just called me stupid. The bus eventually descended, landing smoothly in front of the grand, golden gates. It felt like we were back in the normal world, but my stomach definitely didn't get the memo. As soon as the doors opened, I stumbled out and started vomiting on the side of the road. Nag-suka lang ako nang nag-suka. "Grabe... what a terrible start," I groaned, wiping my mouth with a trembling hand. My dream of being a Tourism student started with me literally losing my lunch on the pavement. Ang panget naman ng simula ko.